Filipino News 164

22 

YEARS 

in print 

& 

online! 

Issue 164: CHRISTMAS 2022 

TE WAKA PIRIPINO MANENE 

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pg 14 

Nurses 

eligible for 

immediate 

residency 

Nurses, midwives and 

any specialist doctors not 

already eligible will be 

added to the straight-toresidence 

pathway among 

a range of new immigration 

settings announced by 

Immigration Minister 

Michael Wood. 

They will be able to 

enter the country under 

the new setting from this 

Thursday, 15 December. 

A Specific Purpose work 

visa will also be added to 

help keep about 2500 

critical workers in the 

country for up to three 

years, and a 12-month 

Open Work Visa for the 

roughly 1800 people who 

had been on Post Study 

Work Visas but missed out 

when the border closed. 

Teachers, drainlayers, 

mechanics and other roles 

are also being added to 

the Green List, while bus 

and truck drivers will be 

eligible for a new temporary 

residence pathway. 

continued on pg 14 

Maligayang Pasko 

pg 5 

WHY ARE K-DRAMAS 

SO BINGE WORTHY? 

BE A TRAVEL 

AMBASSADOR TO 

WIN A CONDO pg 3 

pg 16 

PARENT 

VISA 

REOPENS 

SOARING PRICES HIT 

FAMILIES IN THE 

POCKET 

pg 4 & 15 

Chika Muna: 

pg 07 

JO KOY 

WORLD TOUR 

2023 

28 May, Wellington 

29 May, Auckland 

pg 04 

WHY DO 

FILIPINOS 

WANT TO 

COME 

TO NZ 

FERTILITY 

RATE 

PLUMMETS 

IN PH 

pg 13 

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

The nationwide search is on for Filipino-Kiwis who are outstanding in their fields of endeavour and also 

have a passion for community service. If you would like to nominate an individual, group or organization 

please contact Filipino News NZ at email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz or text: 027 495 8477 

7TH FILIPINO-KIWI HERO AWARDS 2023

02 BUHAY OVERSEAS | ISSUE 164 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | MOBILE : 027 495 8477 | 

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

PH WOMEN’S SOCCER 

TEAM BOUND FOR NZ 

NZ visa dilemma for 

NBL’s Kai Sotto 

By Mel Fernandez 

The Philippine Women’s 

National Football Team is set to 

play three fixtures in New 

Zealand during the FIFA 

Women’s World Cup 2023. 

The Philippines will play 

against Switzerland, New 

Zealand and Norway (Group A) 

at various locations in New 

Zealand: 

PH VS SWITZERLAND - 21 

July 2023 K.O. 5:00 pm in 

Dunedin. 

NZ VS PH - 25 July 2023 

K.O. 5:30 pm in Wellington. 

NORWAY VS PH - 30 July 

2023 K.O. 5:00 pm in Auckland. 

Look out for more updates at: 

www.filipinonews. nz 

AUCKLAND – Filipinos 

in New Zealand 

were disappointed that 

a top PH basketball 

star was a no show at 

the Sky Sport Breakers 

versus Adelaide 36ers 

match on 20th November 

2022 at the Trust 

Stadium in Auckland. 

Kai Sotto, 20, who 

plays the centre position 

for the Adelaide 

36ers and stands at a 

monster 7ft, 3 inches 

(wingspan 7ft, 5 inches) 

was refused entry 

into New Zealand due 

to visa complications. 

Sadly, Adelaide’s 

offense at the game 

steadily crumbled as 

the NZ Breakers took a 

45-43 lead into half 

time and emerged victorious 

with 89-83 on 

the scoreboard. 

Basketball phenomenon 

Sotto, a former 

NBA G-League trainee 

and The Skill Factory 

(in Atlanta, Georgia) 

MVP joined the Adelaide 

46ers of the 

Australian Basketball 

League as a professional 

basketball player on 

21st April 2021. 

He has also played 

for the Ateneo Blue 

Eaglets of the University 

Athletic Association 

of the Philippines 

(UAAP) before moving 

to The Skill Factory. 

Kai has represented 

the Philippines’ national 

team in several senior 

and youth tournaments. 

A 

C 

B 

Enrile asks Marcos to ‘carefully’ 

review Maharlika Fund 

By Azer Parrocha 

MANILA – Chief 

Presidential Legal Counsel 

Juan Ponce Enrile 

has urged President 

Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. 

to “carefully” review a 

bill proposing the creation 

of a Maharlika Investment 

Fund (MIF), warning 

him that he may eventually 

be blamed should 

the fund be abused. 

In an interview over 

SMNI Sonshine Media 

Network International, 

Enrile said he was unsure 

of the direction of the proposed 

sovereign wealth 

fund and whether it would 

receive funding even after 

Marcos’ six-year term. 

“That’s why I told the 

President - Mr. President, 

let’s study it carefully 

because that will be written 

during your time. 

“Maybe your successor 

Juan Ponce 

Enrile 

would not understand 

your good aspirations and 

squander the fund then 

you would be put to 

blame because you signed 

the law,’” he said. 

“If you don’t mind, 

we’ll have to discuss it 

and put all the safeguards 

so in that way, those managing 

the fund while be 

held responsible if there is 

a problem,” he added. 

A . PINEAPPLE-SHAPED LANTERNS. Roger Riños, 56, 

of Camarin, Caloocan City assembles a pineapple-shaped 

paper lantern under the waiting shed along Visayas Avenue in 

Quezon City. The price of the lanterns ranges from PHP35 to 

PHP200 each. (Ben Briones - PNZ) 

B . PAROL. Christmas lanterns made by persons deprived of 

liberty at the Davao City Jail are installed all over Davao 

City. The city began buying Christmas lanterns from the city 

jail in 2016. (Robinson Niñal Jr. - PNA) 

C . CHRISTMAS IS HERE. Shoppers take a look at 

Christmas trees being sold in stalls at the Dapitan Arcade in 

Quezon City. (Ben Briones - PNA) 

Enrile clarified 

that he 

is not against 

the proposed 

MIF, but 

noted that he 

wanted to 

make sure 

that the creation 

of a 

sovereign 

wealth fund 

would not 

harm the 

President’s reputation. 

Instead of creating a 

MIF, Enrile said it is 

“safer” to use funds from 

the PHP5.268-trillion proposed 

national budget for 

2023. 

“Why not take it from 

the general fund and let it 

be a responsibility of the 

government and tighten 

the responsibility of the 

directors?” he said. 

He said while he trusts 

Marcos’ current Cabinet 

members, he doubted if 

he could give the same 

trust for Cabinet members 

of the next administrations. 

Enrile said anyone 

involved in corrupt practices 

while managing the 

fund to “automatically” 

serve jail time at the New 

Bilibid Prison (NBP) in 

Muntinlupa City. 

In the latest iteration of 

the proposed bill creating 

the MIF, its initial capitalization 

was cut by more 

than half to just PHP110 

billion from PHP275 billion 

after the House leadership 

dropped the Social 

Security System, Government 

Service Insurance 

System and the 

national budget from its 

fund sources. 

The President of the 

Philippines was also 

replaced by the Secretary 

of Finance as head of the 

MIF Corporation's governing 

board. 

The House Committee 

on Banks and Financial 

Intermediaries approved a 

provision on jail time for 

those who will violate the 

bill’s stipulations. 

It also approved reverting 

the name to MIF from 

the previous Maharlika 

Wealth Fund or MWF. 

BACKSTORY: 

House Bill 6398, introduced 

on Nov. 28, seeks 

to establish a Philippine 

sovereign wealth fund 

patterned after the successful 

sovereign wealth 

funds all over the world. - 

(PNA)

BUHAY OVERSEAS ISSUE 164 | www.filipinonews.nz | mobile : 027 495 8477 | Facebook Page : Filipino Migrant News | 03 

TRAVEL GALORE (Asian Travel Destinations) : 

www.travelgalore.nz | Do check out our travel updates, room reports and destination reports. 

MANILA – The Philippine 

government has 

launched the Bisita Be My 

Guest (BBMG) program, 

incentivizing Filipinos 

who invite foreign tourists 

with travel discounts and 

a chance to win a condominium 

and free vacation 

trips. 

The campaign, which 

will run from January 

2023 to April 2024, is led 

by the Department of 

Tourism (DOT) and the 

Department of Migrant 

Workers (DMW). 

"We launched the Bisita 

Be My Guest program to 

correspond to President 

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 

call for our fellow 

Filipinos to be the best 

ambassadors for the 

Philippines all over the 

world. And we hope for 

the support of our OFWs 

(overseas Filipino workers) 

and our fellow 

Filipinos to herald their 

love for the Philippines by 

bringing home foreign 

guests into our country," 

Tourism Secretary Ma. 

Christina Frasco said in 

an media interview. 

Citing data from the 

Philippine Statistics Authority, 

the DOT said the 

1.77 million OFWs from 

‘Bisita Be My Guest’ 

By Joyce Rocamora 

Filipinos as travel ambassadors 

April to September 2020 

alone shows that the 

"engagement of OFWs" 

across the world is a 

“great opportunity” to 

boost the tourism sector. 

All Filipinos and the 

foreign visitors they invite 

are qualified to join the 

BBMG, which grants 

them a raffle ticket, a 

privilege card and a 

"travel passport". 

Some of the major raffle 

prizes are a condominium, 

a car and vacation 

travel packages. The 

privilege card, on the 

other hand, may be used 

to avail of discounts and 

special travel rates. 

The invitee could be a 

foreign passport holder 

(non-Filipino) of legal age 

or a Filipino holding dual 

citizenship living abroad 

for a minimum of six 

months before the campaign. 

Invitees must present a 

proof that they traveled to 

the Philippines from Jan. 

1, 2023 to April 30, 2024. 

The official BBMG 

website is at http://bbmg. 

philippines.travel. 

Improving accessibility 

Alongside this promotion 

campaign, the DOT 

continues to work double 

time to improve tourism 

conditions through infrastructure, 

access and connectivity, 

among others. 

"But admittedly, we 

really have to focus on 

accessibility, that is the 

availability of flights,” 

said Frasco. “We're also 

working hard at ensuring 

that we improve the 

tourism conditions in the 

Philippines," 

Also present at the 

Tourism Secretary Ma. 

Christina Frasco during the 

BBMG campaign launch at 

SM Mall of Asia. 

launch event was DMW 

Secretary Susan Ople, 

who underscored the 

BBMG’s significance in 

empowering OFWs to 

help the country, particularly 

its tourism industry. 

“All of them (OFWs) 

are so eager to help our 

country and to help our 

President succeed. I mean 

that’s the common denominator. 

Wherever we go 

our OFWs are saying, 

'What help can we give? 

How can we assist?' And 

so this program gives 

them a vehicle to do just 

that,” Ople said. 

“On behalf of the 

Department of Migrant 

Workers, on behalf of the 

OFWs that we represent 

and the families that they 

belong to, I just want to 

say, let’s make this work," 

she added. 

First Lady Louise 

"Liza" 

Araneta- 

Marcos, 

in a pre-recorded message, 

lauded the initiative 

and expressed confidence 

that the Filipino hospitality 

would make this project 

a success. 

"We all know that the 

Filipinos are the most hospitable 

people in the 

world and I’m sure this 

will be a great factor in 

the success of this program," 

she said. 

"We really need to 

bring in more tourists to 

the Philippines because 

we want to show how hospitable 

we are, how kind 

we are, and how good we 

are at letting them feel at 

home," she added. 

Also manifesting her 

support is Vice President 

Sara Duterte, who hoped 

the program could contribute 

to the tourism sector's 

speedy recovery. 

"May your concerted 

efforts in this regard promote 

the beauty of our 

country’s destinations 

and sustain the progress 

of our local communities 

in various regions,” she 

said. (PNA)

04 BUHAY OVERSEAS | ISSUE 164 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | MOBILE : 027 495 8477 | 


Shangri La 

Plaza Mall 

Text and photos 

By Jude Bautista 

LIGHTING UP THE 

SEASON WITH MUSIC 

Jed Madella 

MANILA - No less 

than Mandaluyong 

Mayor Benjamin Abalos 

Sr. declared the 

beginning of Christmas 

season at the tree lighting 

ceremony of Shangri 

La Plaza Mall, 

November 5, 2022. 

Shangri La Plaza Mall EVP for 

Retail and Commercial Joy 

Polloso said: “All our musical 

guests made it an unforgettable 

night.” Joy Polloso is referring to 

artists headlined by: Jed 

Madela, the Philippine Madrigal 

Singers and the Contemporary 

A Capella Singers 

Association (composed of students 

from the Ateneo De Manila 

University). 

“Christmas in the Philippines 

is a point of pride that we happily 

share with our visitors from 

abroad. The tree lighting and the 

music we have tonight is but a 

taste of the celebrations and hospitality 

that Filipinos are known 

for around the world,” Polloso 

added. 

FLOATING IN THE AIR 

The design of the tree itself is 

unique. It dominates the cavernous 

Grand Atrium of Shang 

Plaza Mall, stretching more than 

a hundred feet high. 

What makes it unique is the 

absence of a base. Viewed from 

below, it appears to be floating in 

the air. Viewed from the higher 

levels, close up, you’ll see steel 

cables suspending rings connected 

to the rafters. 

The tree is a perfect Instagram 

background - whether you shoot 

it from ground level or from afar. 

RETURN TO CHURCH. Devotees of the Black Nazarene spill outside the 

Quiapo Church in Manila. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the 

Philippines said that with the weakening of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 

easing of health protocols, it is time to return to the normality of Christian 

life, including attending Masses physically. (PNA photo by Alfred Frias) 

Please visit our website and social media pages to be 

up-to-date on the latest NZ and Overseas Filipino News! 

filipinonews.nz; FB Filipino News 

Soaring onion prices will reduce 

some punters to tears 

MANILA - 

The steep 

prices of local 

onions are 

bringing tears 

to the eyes of 

consumers in 

the Philippines, 

but they are not 

alone in this 

dilemma. The 

onion crisis is 

also affecting 

people in other parts of 

the world as well. A 

supply shortfall has 

triggered the prices of 

onions to soar globally. 

Several Filipino netizens 

using Reddit 

began juxtaposing grocery 

prices in Manila 

vs Singapore and the 

results were astounding 

- you can purchase 

a lot more product in 

Singapore with the 

same budget. It shocked 

Filipinos online and 

one netizen lamented: 

“First world grocery 

prices with third world 

Fewer babies born as 

fertility rate plummets 


MANILA – As the 

world marks an 8 billion 

population milestone, it 

seems that Filipinos are 

making fewer babies – in 

fact the country’s fertility 

rate has dropped so dramatically 

it has taken 

authorities by surprise, 

reports the Commission 

on Population and 

Development (PopCom). 

“Despite an expected 

increase in the fertility of 

Filipino women because 

of impeded access to family 

planning services during 

lockdowns and quarantine 

protocols, as well 

as the world’s total headcount 

being projected to 

hit 8 billion on November 

15, the Philippines was 

able to register recent 

population statistics unheard 

of in years, with 

fertility numbers plummeting 

to less than two 

offspring per woman,” the 

commission wrote in a 

social media post. 

In 2021 the statistics 

bureau’s survey also 

“First world grocery prices with 

third world wages.” 

wages.” 

At one stage onion 

prices rose to 350 pesos 

per kilo in Manila 

whereas in Thailand it 

was 55.05 pesos per 

kilo. An academic, 

Renee Karunungan 

Edwards, went viral in 

October revealing that 

a kilo of onions in the 

UK was a paltry 32.76 

pesos. 

Among 89 countries, 

the Philippines has the 

highest cost of onions, 

based on the June 2022 

report of the Global 

Pro-duct Prices. 

BABY LOVE. Baby girl Vinice Mabansag, the 

Philippines’ symbolic 8 billionth citizen of the world, with 

her mother Margarette at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial 

Medical Center in Manila on November 15, 2022. 

showed that the fertility 

rate was 2.5 births per 

woman, from a high of 6 

in the 1960s. However, 

the decline from 2017 to 

2022 was the sharpest 

ever recorded. 

The commission cited 

the Philippine Statistics 

Authority’s data from this 

year’s National Health 

Demographic Survey that 

said that said the country 

is already within the 

replacement fertility level 

of 2.1 children, or the fertility 

rate at which women 


In September, 

the 

country’s 

annual inflation 

quickened 

to 6.9% 

from 6.3% in 

August, 

reflecting 

higher food 

prices, the 

statistics 

agency said. 

According to vendors 

in the Philippines, 

their prices have shot 

up since the start of the 

‘Ber-months’ this year 

and have steadily increased 

from around 

P200/kg to P300/kg. 

Before the Ber-months, 

the usual prices of 

onions were less than 

P100/kg. 

After meeting with 

his designated finance, 

trade and economic 

secretaries, President 

Marcos Jr. told reporters 

that he will temporarily 

serve as agriculture 

secretary and 

will reorganize the 

Department of Agriculture 

to foster an 

economic recovery following 

two years of 

coronavirus outbreaks 

and lockdowns. 

“I think that the 

problem is severe 

enough that I have 

decided to take on the 

portfolio of secretary 

of agriculture, at least 

for now,” he said, 

adding that he has 

asked his key advisers 

to anticipate “emergency 

situations, especially 

when it comes to 

food supply”. 

Marcos Jr. said that 

skyrocketing oil prices, 

disruptions to supply 

of agricultural feed 

and decisions by 

Thailand and Vietnam 

to temporarily restrict 

exports of rice - a key 

staple for Filipinos - 

could send food prices 

even higher. 

give birth to enough 

babies to sustain population 

levels. 

The same survey 

revealed that 1 in 2 currently 

married women 

said that they no longer 

desire more children, 

while 17% wanted to 

delay their next childbirth 

for 2 or more years. 

In 2003, 593,553 couples 

tied the knot. As for 

the dip in marriages in 

recent years, Dr. Juan 

Antonio Perez, the 

undersecretary for population 

and development 

integration, opined that 

Filipinos may have 

become more ‘informal’ 

in their relationships. 

“As such, PopCom will 

devote a significant 

amount of its energies to 

young people who are 

now living together and 

are having difficulty in 

acquiring family planning 

services, under its recent 

mandate to address the 

root causes of teen pregnancy,” 

he said. 

Perez said that family 

planning is just as vital in 

a health crisis, as it is a 

means to cope after the 

pandemic. 

Meanwhile, for family 

planning, 58% of married 

women 15- to 49-years 

old now use a particular 

method - higher than 

2017’s 54%. Of the former, 

41.8% said that they 

use any modern method 

of contraception - up from 

40.4% five years ago, 

while 16.5% still opt for 

traditional methods, more 

than the 13.9% half a 

decade ago. The pill is 

still the preferred choice 

of Filipino women, while 

there were more of those 

who underwent sterilization, 

or bilateral tubal ligation.

05 

FLASH BACK: Only some of the famous PH Artista (above) featured in Filipino News over the years by Balitang Showbiz writers - Sheila Mariano, Thelina Nuval, Mel Fernandez & Jude Bautista. 

When the Covid-19 

pandemic swept across 

the globe the public’s 

appetite for distracting 

online content started 

spiralling out of control. 

And by happy chance 

multitudes in Asia and 

even around the world 

were fed with a steady 

diet of mesmerising 

Korean soap operas that 

were ratings smashes 

right out of the box. 

The now global Korean 

wave peaked when the 

hyper-violent thriller 

‘Squid Game’ rocked the 

world and became 

Netflix’s most watched 

show in 2021. Following 

on the heels of Squid 

Game’s runaway success 

came another massive hit 

– ‘Crash Landing on 

You’ – the most successful 

Korean Drama (K- 

Drama) of all time. 

The onslaught of K- 

Dramas on Filipino 

entertainment and their 

extraordinary appeal 

prompted one local 

politician to advocate 

that they be banned during 

a budget hearing for 

the Film Development 

Council of the Philippines. 

Senator Jinggoy Estrada 

felt that extreme 

measures were needed to 

safeguard the local 

industry and ensure its 

survival against K- 

Drama fever. But before 

long he got a backlash 

from Filipino fans who 

slammed him for his controversial 

take on K- 

Dramas and Estrada 

later backtracked on his 

proposal to ban them. 

In the aftermath of this 

controversy, actress and 

filmmaker Bela Padilla 

took to Twitter to throw 

her weight behind the 

debate. She said that: 

“Filipinos love K- 

Dramas because of their 

high production values 

and quality. On the other 

hand, many Filipinos in 

the film industry are 

underpaid for their 

efforts. But to ban certain 

programs because 

they’re doing better than 

us is such a petty move. 

Be happy for others and 

learn from their success.” 

Social commentator 

Alyanna Margaret Patiag, 

23, from Nueva 

Ecija, feels that there’s 

no value in banning K- 

Dramas. “VPNs (Virtual 

Private Networks) are so 

popular and are practically 

the norm; people 

will still find a way to see 

Korean films and dramas 

one way or another.” 

The solution, she says, 

is to make better quality 

local productions which 

can rival K-Dramas. On 

the question of 

funding local productions, 

she said: 

“Right now I don’t 

think it’s necessary, 

but eventually 

I think the government 

should 

support local 

moviemakers, but 

I hope for better 

writers and directors 

with a clear 

and unique niche who 

are worth investing in. 

We can’t just support 

artists who might misrepresent 

or disgrace our 

culture. 

“Korean culture is so 

popular because we can 

see how wholesome and 

unique their culture is 

through K-Drama. If 

new Filipino filmmakers 

can deliver a better representation, 

then why not 

invest in that?” 

Similarly, in an interview 

with CNN Philippines 

last month, Senator 

Estrada also admitted 

that he personally 

favours increasing the 

budget of FDCP to incentivize 

directors and 

artists who produce quality 

films. 

This begs the question: 

what do K-Dramas have 

that local productions 

lack? 

“I haven’t watched 

Filipino dramas since 

high school,” shares 

Alyanna Patiag. “I have 

seen some episodes on 

YouTube and it just frustrates 

me. There are only 

a few productions worth 

watching nowadays. 

“Filipino TV has gotten 

quite toxic and repetitive. 

It wasn’t always like this 

when I was younger. The 

shows were more wholesome, 

creative and family 

oriented. 

“These days it’s always 

K-Dramas are 

Crash Landing 

on You. 


Extraordinary 

Attorney Woo 

Senator 

Jinggoy 

Estrada 

Squid Game 

about infidelity and 

heart-broken people 

going crazy. It’s just not 

inspiring in a good sense 

at all. It’s plainly distasteful. 

The only wholesome 

thing that they’ve 

retained are the dramas 

about love teams, but 

there is so much more to 

TV than love teams.” 

Another impassioned 

commentor on this topic 

is Erik Paolo Capistrano, 

an ardent K-Drama fan 

and an associate professor 

at the University of 

the Philippines (UP) 

Diliman. He is also the 

principal investigator at 

the UP's Korea Research 

Centre (KRC). 

In a recent webinar 

organised by the UP 

KRC he said: “I believe 

that the success of K- 

Drama is a result of not 

just the creativity of 

Korean entertainment 

companies, but also of 

aggressive promotions 

and loyal fan bases. 

“Korean entertainment 

companies have been 

effective at creating new 

and disruptive content, 

like the recent hit ‘It's 

Okay To Not Be Okay’, 

which tackled mental 

health among males. 

"It's very rare to see 

males expressing their 

suffering about mental 

health and this drama is 

having a big impact," he 

said. 

“K-Dramas give a 

refreshing take on common 

themes such as 

‘Hospital Playlist’, which 

is one of my personal 

Bela Padilla 

favourites. It's not the 

first time that a hospital 

drama has been broadcasted, 

but we see something 

like this and it's a 

very fresh take.” 

Capistrano added that 

the South Koreans are 

very creative and produce 

shows that can be 

both entertaining and 

informative. "You have 

several themes like in 

'The World of the 

Married', it's a very serious 

and heavy drama; 

you have your 'Crash 

Landing on You', which 

is a take on North 

Korean versus South 

Korean lifestyles and you 

have current dramas like 

'Do You Like Brahms' 

and 'Alice' that tackle 

topics that we would not 

know about otherwise. 

"The point is that 

regardless of the topic or 

the theme of the drama, 

they have a very robust 

system behind it that 

enables it to be executed 

in such a way that it can 

communicate to us, to 

various audiences. 

“On top of creating 

binge-worthy content, 

Korean entertainment 

companies are forwardlooking 

and open to moving 

to different platforms 

and genres.” 

He mentioned the move 

of the big-budget ‘The 

King: Eternal Monarch’ 

from television to Netflix 

and ‘Backstreet Rookie', 

a web toon that became a 

live-action drama, that is 

also available on Netflix 

and China's streaming 

website. 

“Korean dramas have 

been constantly evolving 

and are being distributed 

in channels outside of the 

usual broadcast channels 

and are made available 

to all of us.” 

There was a surge in 

popularity of Korean TV 

dramas and movies in the 

Philippines in the early 

2000s, according to a 

study titled ‘Beyond the 

Fad: Understanding 

Hallyu in the Philippines’ 

by the International 

Journal of Social Science 

and Humanity. This 

spurred local television 

stations to import 

Korean shows and dub 

them into Filipino. 

Due to this infatuation 

with Korean soap operas 

and movies they are now 

getting Filipino adaptations, 

for example 

‘Descendants of the Sun', 

starring Dingdong 

Dantes and Jennylyn 

Mercado.

06 ISSUE 164 SHOW BIZ NEWS | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 

CHIKA 

MUNA 


WHY ARE K-DRAMAS SO BINGE WORTHY? 

MY FAVOURITE 

K-DRAMAS 

Former Vice President 

Leni Robredo is a 

long-time K-Drama 

fan. 

She mentioned in a 

Philstar interview that 

some of her favourite 

dramas are ‘City 

Hunter’ (which aired 

on ABS-CBN), ‘Descendants 

of the Sun', 

‘Mr Sunshine’ and of 

course ‘Crash Landing 

on You'. 

For social commentator 

Alyanna Patiag, 

her top of the pops 

are: ‘Reply 1988', 

‘Hospital Playlist', 

‘Weightlifting Fairy', 

‘Goblin’ and ‘The 

Moon Embracing The 

Sun'. 

Filipino News publisher 

Sheila Mariano’s 

personal favourites 

are: ‘Crash 

Landing on You', 

‘Extraordinary Attorney 

Woo', and ‘It's 

Okay To Not Be 

Okay'. 


What follows is a breakdown 

of factors that make 

K-Dramas so binge worthy: 

EYE CANDY 

Social media is rife with 

adulatory comments about 

K-Drama’s good-looking 

Korean casts and the high 

fashion attire they display. 

In an interview with 

StarStudio, one of the 

#MetroSocietyMostInfluenti 

al people on social media, 

Vice Ganda, commented. 

“Nai-influence nila ako kasi 

sobra akong inggit na inggit 

sa kung gaano ka-glossy 

’yung damitan nila.” And he 

couldn’t have picked a more 

apt term to describe their 

style: “glossy!” says ABS- 

CBN News. 

EASY-TO-BINGE FOR- 

MAT 

“The perfect format is 

debatable and completely up 

to preference,” suggests 

social commentator Alyanna 

Patiag. “For me it 

depends on the story, however, 

21-25 episodes are usually 

enough to satiate me, 

because episodes are an hour 

long. They have enough time 

to explore the story and not 

Social commentator, 

Alyanna Margaret Patiag, 23, 

from Nueva Ecija. 

be too repetitive with too 

many flashbacks. 21-25 

episodes is also good since it 

gives a solid timeline with 

just enough for each episode 

to be special and unmissable.” 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo 

“Unlike a lot of Philippine 

shows that last for months or 

even years, a typical Korean 

series spans 16 to 24 

episodes and then it is done, 

ending on a high note,” 

remarks Erik Paolo Capistrano, 

an associate professor 

at the University of the 

Philippines (UP) Diliman. 

“This is another factor that 

may have drawn Filipinos to 

K-Dramas. 

"We have this penchant 

for, if a Philippine drama is a 

hit, you extend it for as long 

as you can, as opposed to 

Korean dramas that have a 

definitive beginning or ending. 

You know you're only 

going to have 16 or 20 or 24 

episodes. It's easy to schedule 

your time around it if 

you're a viewer," he says. 

"With Philippine dramas, 

sometimes it gets so dragged 

out along the way in 

an effort to maximize 

things that the 

story suffers," he 

adds. "So, in that 

sense, you cannot 

blame Filipinos for 

preferring some 

other content to 

watch." 

By the way, it was 

announced recently 

that Asia's longest running 

drama anthology 'Maalaala 

Mo Kaya' is coming to an 

end. 

SPOILT FOR CHOICE 

Crash Landing on You 

Fortunately, South Korea 

churns out shows that cater 

to a wide range of tastes. 

From the popular light romcoms 

to hardcore melodramatic 

tear-jerkers as well as 

historical, fantasy, science 

fiction, suspense and action 

stories. 

OTHER PLUS FACTORS 

Here are some bullet 

points of factors that social 

media fans and commentators 

say endear K-Dramas to 

audiences: 

1. South Koreans excel at 

choosing perfect romantic 

soundtracks to enhance 

‘kilig’ moments. 

2. The producers cast 

relatable characters who 

possess a great sense of 

humour and quirky antics. 

3. G-rated, family friendly 

themes are the norm – hardly 

any foul language, a lowlevel 

of violence and 

squeaky-clean love scenes. 

4. Great cinematography 

with amazing shots and 

spectacular locations. 

5. Fresh factor - the 

incredible storylines and settings 

used in K-Dramas are a 

refreshing change for 

Filipino audiences. 

6. Audiences feast their 

eyes on the mouth-watering 

food that the actors share on 

screen. 

7. Availability on streaming 

services. 

At the end of the day, you 

could say that the main reason 

why K-Dramas have 

become so popular worldwide 

is simply because they 

are so good.

AUCKLAND - JOKE 

LANG, LOL OR LYAO? 

Or is it all of the above in 

the case of comedian Jo 

Koy, 51, who is of Filipino 

and European-American 

descent. 

After a sell-out tour in 

Auckland in 2018 he 

returned in December 2019 

as part of his ‘Just Kidding 

World Tour.’ 

The good news is that he 

will be back again in late 

May 2023 for the ‘Jo Koy 

World Tour,’ with all new 

material, performing in 

Auckland and Wellington. 

The comedian, who pulls 

inspiration from his family, 

specifically his son, who is 

16 years old, sells out arenas 

and theatres across the 

world. 

FILIPINO NEWS: 33 

years in the business, 51 

years old and arguably the 

top Filipino Comedian of 

all Time (outside the Philippines) 

and a pioneer for 

Filipino comedians. What 

has contributed to your phenomenal 

success? And 

where to from here? 

JO KOY: Staying 

focussed and never giving 

up. There were a lot of 

times I wanted to quit and 

thank God I didn’t. There is 

no limit. I’m going to keep 

ISSUE 164 S H O W B I Z N E W S | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | Facebook: Filipino News 07 

MIGRANT NEWS - Immigration News, Settlement Support ... New Zealand’s first Migrant community newspaper. Published since 1991. Print. Online. Social Media. 

Exclusive 

NZ INTERVIEW 


going and never set a limit. 

FN: Would it be correct 

to say that your focus is 

Filipino audiences more 

than mainstream? 

JK: I’m just telling stories 

of my family and I 

think that they're relatable 

no matter what your ethnicity 

is. 

From Mexicans to Nederlanders 

their moms do the 

same thing and use Cool 

Whip containers as Tupperware. 

Family is always 

going to be mainstream. 

FN: You keep on refreshing 

the content of your routine; 

will your Mum and 

your son continue to be the 

inspiration for your material? 

JK: Always! As longs as 

they continue to do funny 

things in real life I’ll continue 

to bring it to the stage. 

FN: What do you like 

about New Zealand and 

what are the touristy things 

you plan to do here? 

JK: Previously, when I 

was in New Zealand, I 

JOKE LANG, 

LOL OR LYAO? 

bungee jumped for the first 

time with my son. Will I 

repeat it? I’m not sure and 

of course shopping. 

FN: Is the response from 

Pinoys in New Zealand 

similar to what you get 

overseas using this barometer: 

JOKE LANG, LOL or 

LYAO? 

JK: It’s the same everywhere 

I go. Of course 

Pinoys come out to support 

me along with everyone 

else. 

ADDITIONAL 

REPORTING: 

Esquire Philippines 

asked Jo Koy: “How does 

your mom feel about the 

jokes that you have made 

about her?” 

Koy replied: “Oh, she 

loves it! What mom wouldn’t? 

She enjoys hearing the 

stories; she loves it. If I did 

it disrespectfully I think 

that she wouldn’t enjoy it, 

but I put it in a way so that 

I shine a light on my mom 

and put 

her on a 

platform 

and it is 

a l s o 

something 

t h a t 

people 

relate 

to. That 

is what 

mom likes the most. It is 

not just about being a 

Filipino mom, too. Yes, she 

is Filipino, but she is still a 

mom and people get that.” 

In another interview, this 

time with Inquirer Entertainment, 

he said: “I speak 

highly of the Filipino culture 

because of my mom. 

“What I love the most is 

that people are loving my 

mother's character - 

because she's just being a 

mom! More than that, 

they're learning about the 

Filipino culture. 

“My whole life I've 

always encouraged people 

JO KOY WORLD TOUR 2023 

28 May, Wellington 

Michael Fowler Centre 

29 May, Auckland 

The Trusts Arena 

Book at: bohmpresents.com 

CHIKA 

MUNA 

to try Filipino food, or just 

to meet my mom. Now here 

I am doing that on the world 

stage!” 

As one of today’s premiere 

stand-up comics, Koy 

has come a long way from 

his modest beginnings performing 

at a Las Vegas coffee 

house. 

Koy started 2022 with a 

bang, selling out the 

Climate Pledge Arena (over 

14,000 tickets) in his hometown 

of Seattle. 

Today he continues breaking 

sales records at some of 

the most prestigious 

venues around the 

world including Mall 

of Asia Arena 

(Manila), The Forum 

(LA), Coca-Cola 

Arena (Dubai), ICC 

Theatre (Sydney) 

and Radio City 

Music Hall (New 

York) to name a few. 

In 2017, Koy broke 

a record for the most 

tickets sold by a single 

artist at 23,000 

tickets and 11 soldout 

shows at The 

Neal S. Blaisdell 

Concert Hall in 

Honolulu. In response, 

the mayor’s 

office in Honolulu proclaimed 

November 24th as 

Jo Koy Day. 

Koy recently starred in 

the Universal Picture film 

Easter Sunday set around a 

family gathering to celebrate 

Easter Sunday, the 

comedy is based on Jo 

Koy’s life experiences and 

stand-up comedy. 

Photo Credit: Mike Miller 

Photography

08 ISSUE 164 SHOW BIZ NEWS | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 

CHIKA 

MUNA 


THE FIRST PRIME-TIME ASIAN SITCOM 

Nahyeon Lee’s new theatrical 

show, The First 

Prime-Time Asian Sitcom 

was written as part of 

Proudly Asian Theatre’s 

Fresh off the Page initiative 

in 2019, and two 

years later, picked 

up for production 

by Silo Theatre. 

It’s playing in 

Auckland 

until 27 

November 

2022. 

Asia Media 

Centre talks to 

Lee about how 

the work has 

evolved through 

the pandemic, and 

the pressures that have 

come with putting on an 

Asian-led show. 

Nahyeon Lee comes from 

a background of screen production. 

It’s TV and film that 

she has specialised in, so 

The First Prime-Time Asian 

Sitcom – which is actually a 

work of live theatre – has 

been an opportunity for 

growth. 

“Growing up my family 

never engaged in theatre in 

Auckland, so I discovered it, 

started producing for it, and 

thought it was a fertile place 

for makers to produce work 

quickly. Which is a little bit 

different from film (unless 

you’re doing that with no 

money). " 

And this is, indeed, an 

urgent work. There’s a lot to 

pack into one hour. “It's 60- 

minute show. The characters 

are putting together a fictional 

live taping of a sitcom 

(the first of its kind in 

Aotearoa). You get to experience 

that live taping and 

watch the story unfold, then 

you begin to see the aftermath 

of the sitcom as well as 

how it came to be.” 

However, since writing 

the show, at least two primetime 

Asian sitcoms have 

Nahyeon Lee 

photo: Jinki Cambronero 

actually screened in New 

Zealand – Creamerie and 

Raised by Refugees. Yet 

this show remains more 

important 

than ever. 

“We’re still existing in the 

same systems. In terms of 

the work changing, a lot of 

things happened in between 

(writing and production), 

there was Covid, there was 

the anti-Asian hate movement 

which was sparked by 

a mass shooting of Asian 

women in the US, 

those things really fed 

into the urgency of 

wanting to write this. 

It added to the political 

complexity of how I 

was feeling. 

“But I also changed. 

I made work, I experienced 

more systemic 

barriers, and it’s made 

me more emboldened.” 

Asian creatives are 

being given more 

opportunities to present 

their work than 

ever before in the 

West, but is that something 

the film, television, 

and theatre 

industries should be 

congratulated for? “I 

think we’re having a 

bit of a moment, but I 

also feel it’s a tragedy 

that we have to have a 

tragedy to justify our stories 

or our existences,” Lee says. 

“What’s most admirable to 

me is persistence and 

doggedness, regardless. It’s 

problematic in Asian stories 

– why do we have to use 

instances of world 

tragedy or hate crime to 

finally get attention 

turned on us?” 

The First Prime- 

Time Asian Sitcom 

lies right in the intersection 

of trying to 

have the agency to 

define your own stories, 

and putting forth what 

you want to say. “Being a 

maker, you still exist in a 

series of systems and hegemonies,” 

says Lee. 

“In Aotearoa we live in a 

predominantly Pakeha hegemony, 

so the Asian diaspora 

is constantly fighting an 

uphill battle. You aren’t the 

one defining your own values 

necessarily. Especially 

when you have to exist (and 

make a living) in an industry. 

Ariadne Baltazar 

Filipina Actress 

photo: Jinki Cambronero 

By Lee Seabrook-Suckling 

“So this work is a raging 

war cry. It’s asking the hard 

questions about how we 

define ourselves in a system 

that doesn’t always have our 

best interests in mind, but 

has never predominately had 

Asian diaspora interests in 

mind until now.” 

In real life, within the 

white-led systems of power, 

there’s often not a clear 

antagonist – no one “bad 

guy” to take down. It’s a 

whole establishment. 

“That’s something I was 

constantly thinking about 

when writing this play, 

because storytelling 101 is 

that you must have a character 

to represent everything 

your main character is fighting 

against. 

“I didn’t want to have a 

clear, singular antagonist 

because I don’t want to give 

people really easy answers. 

The problem is we are 

crushed under these expectations 

of this way of being, 

whether that’s capitalistic 

systems or 

white supremacist 

systems… 

it’s a 

system of ideologies. 

It’s not 

necessarily one 

person, it’s an 

institution. 

“It’s not a 

singular gatekeeper. 

It’s 

much more 

complex than 

that, and I 

wanted to 

build in that 

difficult ambiguity 

– that’s 

more interesting 

to me as a 

maker, than 

having a really 

easy solve… 

because there 

isn’t an easy 

solve. It’s slow and its hard.” 

Lee has a love-hate relationship 

with sitcoms. Every 

time she was stressed when 

she was younger she would 

watched Friends reruns. “It 

became this comfort food for 

me. The screen medium 

makes you so close to the 

characters you really do 

think they’re your friends – 

it’s literally called Friends. 

You’re so invested in their 

lives.” 

Yet the sitcom in general 

has historically been quite 

monocultural. From Friends 

to Seinfeld to Sex and the 

City, presented us with just 

one kind of person. Growing 

up in the 1990s and 2000s, 

Lee says we were only given 

“Hollywood white people” 

to look up to, but that has 

started to change in the last 

decade. 

“I guess when Fresh off 

the Boat (2015) came out, I 

was like, ‘oh look, they’re 

doing Asian stories’. But 

then when I watched it, I 

started to wonder if I actually 

felt represented by it,” 

Lee explains. “And then 

there was all my complex 

baggage. Why did I hold it to 

a higher standard? Why do I 

Dawn Cheong 

photo: Toaki Okano 

feel like these stories don’t 

speak to me when I’ve 

allowed Friends to get away 

with it for so long? That was 

probably the first time I 

realised something was 

missing.” 

The burden is “ridiculous”, 

Lee says, to ask Asian 

makers to represent their 

communities. Any creative 

work should be more about 

individual expression. “I 

hope it’s not about having to 

represent anymore, it’s about 

artistic freedom,” she adds. 

Inasmuch, Lee agrees each 

piece of work from the Asian 

diaspora is just one nuanced 

voice that adds to the tapestry 

of experiences of Asian 

people. “That pressure in the 

past has also come from the 

lack of opportunities to 

make Asian works. That 

pressure-cooker environment 

(combined with the 

scarcity of opportunity to 

present work) has made 

Asian makers feel an unfair 

burden.” 

- Asia Media Centre 

A WHITE 

CHRISTMAS 

continued from page 9 

If Day Five happens 

to be Christmas Eve, go 

to Piccadilly Circus, 

Leicester Square or 

Trafalgar Square, 

where informal Carol 

concerts are held and a 

giant 20-metre tall 

Christmas tree is erected. 

Later in the evening 

you can experience a 

moving Christmas Eve 

mass at one of 

London’s many cathedrals 

and churches. 

On Christmas Day 

you shouldn’t miss a 

traditional lunch at a 

nearby restaurant, complete 

with roast turkey, 

plum pudding, mince 

pies and red wine. 

Day 6: 

If Day Six falls on a 

Sunday, visit the worldfamous 

Petticoat Lane 

in Liverpool Street – the 

local Flea Market. 

There are over 1,200 

stalls there that sell 

clothing, leather goods, 

bric-a-brac and street 

food. 

The Sunday Up- 

Market in the Old 

Truman Brewery features 

vintage stalls and 

great artisan food stalls. 

And another East 

London institution is 

the Brick Lane Market. 

For lunch try out 

another British meal - 

the traditional Sunday 

Roast. Some of the best 

roasts are to be had in 

pubs rather than 

restaurants. 

This meal comprises 

roasted meat – beef, 

chicken or lamb, 

accompanied by roast 

potatoes, Yorkshire 

Puddings and vegetables, 

drowned in rich 

gravy. The vegetables 

might include broccoli, 

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, 

carrots, cauliflower, 

parsnips, or 

peas. You will also be 

offered condiments 

such as apple sauce, 

mint sauce, or redcurrant 

jelly. 

Day 7: 

If you still have time 

on your hands, then 

take a three-day trip to 

Scotland by train to 

enjoy the winter sports. 

It usually snows by this 

time and you’ll cherish 

the memory of snowflakes 

falling around 

you and then waking up 

the next day to find 

everything snowed over. 

Merry Christmas.

Are you one of those 

people who would ever 

put wintering abroad 

during the Christmas season 

high on your holiday 

bucket list? 

The thought of the cold 

would put most of us off 

this idea. I had my misgivings 

too, but decided to 

take a wintry break in 

London because, as one 

travel writer Julie 

Falconer succinctly put it: 

“over-tourism is becoming 

an increasing problem 

around the world; visiting 

in the winter months is a 

good sustainable travel 

practice.” 

London turned out to 

be a magical winter wonderland 

during my first 

ever trip to the UK. I discovered 

that my dream 

destination can be 

enjoyed as much on a cold 

winter’s day as at the 

height of summer. And 

leading up to Christmas 

the capital looks very festive 

and welcoming with 

the dazzling signs and 

decorations. 

It is also a tourist bargain 

in winter, for you can 

get a substantial rebate on 

everything from air-tickets 

to tours and accommodation. 

The best part of it all 

is that you miss the 

summer congestion, 

when there is a great 

strain on the transport 

system, excursions and 

other tourist facilities. 

You will, of course, 

come up against the 

infamous gloomy English 

weather: intermittent 

rainfall, fog, temperatures 

dipping 

below freezing and the 

snow. But in your winter 

woollies you’ll find 

the weather quite tolerable 

(buy all your winter 

gear when you 

arrive in London as the 

Christmas sales will be in 

full swing). 

In fact, I found that the 

thrill of the cold was very 

exhilarating, as it motivates 

you to organise 

plenty of activities that 

make your days merrier. 

This tripcan be a mindboggling 

experience, especially 

if you come from 

the tropics, as you can 

only imagine what 

snowflakes, snowmen, 

red-breasted robins 

chirping on windowsills, 

real Christmas trees and 

merry-making the traditional 

way can be like. 

D A Y O N E : 

Day One of your visit 

should be reserved for a 

familiarisation tour of the 

city of London. The tour I 

was on cost very little, but 

it covered all the not-tobe-missed 

spots like Hyde 

Park, Westminster Abbey, 

Big Ben, St Paul’s 

Cathedral, the Tower of 

London and a cruise 

round the West End, 

Oxford Street, Marble 

Arch, Trafalgar Square 

and Piccadilly Circus. 

After this whirlwind 

tour, why not wind down 

at a traditional London 

pub and try the classic 

Ploughman’s Lunch - 

bread, cold meats, cheese, 

onions and pickles. It is 

best washed down with a 

local beer. 

Some pubs also offer 

delicacies like Scotch 

Eggs, Pork Pies, Cornish 

Pastries, Bread and 

Butter Pudding, Sticky 

Toffee Pudding, Sherry 

Trifle, Spotted Dick and 

Eton Mess. 

For dinner there are 

other foods to enjoy in 

London. The great British 

old-fashioned fish and 

chips is that one thing 

that tourists want to try, 

at least once, when they 

come to London. At the 

‘Poppies’ in Soho or 

Camden, the aroma of the 

salt and vinegar and the 

crunch of the batter on 

the fish and the ‘not so 

crispy’ chips are irresistible. 

As jetlag begins to creep 

in, settle down in front of 

the telly and enjoy an 

evening of lively fare into 

the wee hours of the night. 

DAY 2: 

On Day Two you are 

ready to whizz around 

London on the Tube 

(Underground). Once you 

are familiar with getting 

around, visit some of 

London’s great department 

stores: Fortnum & 

Mason, Harvey Nichols, 

Marks & Spencer, 

Selfridges, Debenhams, 

the High & Mighty and 

Harrods. They are all 

conveniently located 

around Oxford Street, 

Bond Street and Regent 

Street. And remember 

that the winter sales will 

be on. 

After the hectic shopping 

treat yourself to an 

iconic London experience 

- the traditional afternoon 

tea - which is typically 

served between 2 pm and 

4 pm. 

To accompany your 

Earl Grey, champagne or 

decadent cocktails, 

savour classic cucumber 

sandwiches, scones with 

clotted cream and homemade 

jams, macarons, 

pastries, chocolate cake 

and fruit tarts. 

There’s no shortage of 

places in London that 

A Winter’s Tale ... 

offer afternoon tea, 

including many hotels, 

like the luxury experience 

at The Ritz in Piccadilly 

Street and high-end 

department stores like 

Harrod’s, Fortnum & 

Mason and Harvey 

Nichols. 

Remember to get tickets 

for some evening entertainment. 

Christmas is 

theatre time and there are 

a wealth of attractions at 

the West End. 

Productions that are 

currently running are Les 

Misérables, Mary Poppins, 

The Lion King, 

Hamilton, Moulin Rouge, 

Phantom of the Opera 

and more. 

DAY 3: 

On Day Three you 

could take an out-of-town 

tour – visit Windsor 

Castle, Shakespeare’s 

Stratford-upon-Avon, 

Coventry Cathedral or 

Stonehenge. 

How to colour your 

Christmas White 

Dreaming of a White Christmas? 

London can be enjoyed as much on a 

cold winter’s day as at the height of 

summer … and a warm British 

welcome awaits visitors as 

inducement. 


www.travelgalore.nz 

If you prefer to stay in 

London, go on a themed 

tour, like the Jack the 

Ripper Walking Tour, the 

Ghost Bus Tours, or the 

Sherlock Holmes Tour, to 

name a few. For movie 

fans the entertaining 

Harry Potter locations 

walking tour is highly recommended. 

The duration 

is 2 hours. 

A happy ending to the 

day would be a grand 

Elizabethan banquet at 

the Beefeater in London. 

You will be entertained in 

traditional style with minstrels 

and ballad singers, 

all in full Elizabethan 

regalia. 

Day 4: 

Arise on Day Four to 

partake of a full English 

breakfast – one of the 

most recognised traditional 

British dishes. It 

comprises cereal, porridge, 

or fruit juice, followed 

by grilled back 

bacon, sausages, baked 

beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, 

black pudding and 

fried eggs, even hash 

browns if you fancy, followed 

in turn by toast, 

butter and fresh Oxford 

marmalade. 

The fry up at The River 

Café, Putney Bridge, is 

classic. Or for a posh version 

try The Wolsely in 

Picadilly. 

Today you can start off 

bright and early for 

Southall to visit little 

India. You’ll be amazed to 

see a thriving Indian community 

complete with 

social and recreational 

facilities so far from the 

old country. 

For lunch try Chicken 

Tikka Masala with a side 

of pilau rice. This creamy, 

aromatic curry is one of 

London’s most popular 

dishes. 

Then return to base and 

compare notes with 

Chinatown in the Soho 

district of London. You 

may want to try the delicious 

Hong-Kong-Style 

Chinese food at the Loon 

Fung Restaurant in 

Gerald Street. 

London offers the 

LONDON IS A MAGICAL WINTER WONDERLAND: (left:) Harrods - the world’s most famous department store. (centre) Festivities at Trafalgar Square. 

(right) Start your pub crawl from The Sherlock Holmes. (top) The Big Ben at the Palace of Westminister. 

tourist the chance to taste 

almost every imaginable 

cuisine. 

Day 5: 

Take in a bit of culture 

on Day Five. Visit the 

London Museum or the 

dozens of art galleries, 

exhibitions, children’s 

pantomimes, jazz, folk, or 

rock music concerts, or 

drop in at the London 

Zoo. 

Continued on page 8 

Editor: Mel Fernandez travelled 

to London from Singapore courtesy 

of Singapore Airlines.

FILIPINO-KIWI BUSINESS DIRECTORY Mob: 027 495 8477 : filipinonews@xtra.co.nz 

Settlement Road, 

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enricoaumentado_12 

@yahoo.com.ph 

E 

N 

R 

I 

C 

O 

’ 

S 

L 

E 

C 

H 

O 

N 

Lamb, Ham or Lechon? 

Surprisingly, during 

Christmas lamb is 

often the meat of 

choice for Kiwis, with 

ham coming in a very 

close second, according 

to a survey by Retail 

Meat New Zealand. 

But for Pinoys, I 

guess there will only 

ever be one dish at the 

centre of the table - the 

classic Filipino lechon. 

“The best pork dish 

ever,” to quote Anthony 

Bourdian. 

If you are expecting 

friends and family to 

stream in on the day, a whole 

pork spit roast is a 

Christmas must. Fortunately, 

you don’t have to toil over 

a hot barbecue pit to make 

this treat. You can order 

your lechon in advance from 

popular suppliers like 

Lechon Ta Bai or Enrico’s 

Lechon. 

While Kiwis might make 

Boxing Day sandwiches with 


their leftover ham and 

turkey, Pinoys will cook 

Lechon Paksiw, a tasty 

Filipino stew made using the 

leftovers of the pork. And if 

you are brave enough you 

can use the pig’s head to 

make sisig. 

What makes up the rest of 

the Kiwi Christmas plate is 

most likely to be potatoes 

and mixed salads. What 

Pinoys have in common with 

Kiwis is Hamon (boneless 

ham), but that’s where the 

similarity ends. 

Pinoys have a host of 

unique festive dishes on their 

menu: Pancit Malabon - the 

stir-fried noodle dish topped 

with shrimps, squid, mussels 

and oyster, Pancit Canton - 

wheat-flour egg 

noodles or Pinoystyle 

spaghetti featuring 

hot dog 

slices and ground 

beef, Lumpian 

Ubod, the fresh 

e g g r o l l s , 

Marcaroni Salad 

and the list goes on 

... 

The Pavlova is 

the pick of the 

Christmas puddings 

for Kiwis, 

followed by trifle, 

strawberries with 

ice cream and a 

fruit salad. 

On the Filipino 

menu some of the 

traditional sweet staples are 

Bibingka, the popular rice 

cake, the eggstravangant 

Leche flan, the purple rice 

cake - Puto Bumbong and 

fruit salad featuring condensed 

milk. 

Regardless of what kai 

you’ll be eating, be merry 

and enjoy Christmas with 

those you love. 

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pg 11 

“This JOBS BOARD trabaho.nz is 

a fantastic way of attracting quality 

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Monty Stewart, Kaiwaka Clothing. 

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SCAN TO VIEW 

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Record numbers of Filipinos 

buy CrestClean franchises 

Brothers-in-law 

Andrew De Castro and 

Rezzi Sumagang unwittingly 

made history when 

they purchased a 

CrestClean franchise 

together in Palmerston 

North. 

In buying a franchise, 

they became the commercial 

cleaning company’s 

700th franchise team, 

making CrestClean the 

largest franchise system 

of its type in New 

Zealand. 

To mark the occasion 

they were presented with 

special ‘700th Franchise’ 

plaques by CrestClean’s 

Palmerston North Regional 

Master Franchisee 

Shareen Raj. 

“I was very surprised 

when I found out,” says 

Andrew. “I feel very 

lucky!” 

Originally from the 

Philippines, Andrew 

moved to New Zealand 

eight years ago with his 

wife Rizza and their son 

Andrick, who was 2 at the 

time, seeking a better 

future. 

They have since grown 

their family with the additions 

of Azelle, 2, and 

Adaline, who was born 

last month. 

Rezzi and his wife 

Loren followed a year 

later and now also have a 

family, Yuri, 5, and Yuna, 

2. 

“I never thought I 

would own my own business; 

it was not really 

planned. I take pride in it. 

I feel really happy about 

it,” says Andrew, who previously 

worked as a night 

fill supervisor at a supermarket. 

Rezzi left his job as a 

telecommunications technician 

and moved from 

Kapiti to go into partnership 

with Andrew, after 

talking to friends who 

120 Filipino-Kiwis 

join New Zealand’s 

largest franchise 

owned successful 

CrestClean businesses. 

“I like being my own 

boss. I am working less 

hours for more money, I 

don’t have to travel as far 

to work and I am closer to 

family so we can help 

each other out with looking 

after the kids.” 

Andrew and Rezzi are 

already looking to grow 

the business, with plans to 

each have their own franchise 

in the future. 

CrestClean is proud to 

have 59 different nationalities 

represented in its 

franchise network, but by 

far the fastest-growing 

nationality is Filipino, 

making up 40 percent of 

the new franchise 

teams 

who have 

joined the 

company over 

the last 12 

months. 

In total CrestClean has 

more than 120 Filipino 

franchise teams, making 

up 17 percent of all their 

franchisees. 

“A lot of that is down to 

word of mouth,” says 

Managing Director Grant 

McLauchlan. 

“We have many successful 

Filipino business 

owners, who recommend 

CrestClean because they 

want their family and 

friends to enjoy the same 

Filipino business owners - Andrew De Castro and 

Rezzi Sumagang - became CrestClean’s 

700th franchise team 

success.” 

Coming from a variety 

of backgrounds, one thing 

many of them have in 

common is the desire for 

better work-life balance 

and the ability to spend 

more time with family. 

“We have many husband-and-wife 

Filipino 

teams who enjoy working 

together and who like the 

freedom of being able to 

structure their time 

around family commitments,” 

says Grant. 

“As we 

build our 

franchise 

network we 

are also 

helping 

people 

build successful 

l i v e s . 

Knowing 

that many 

of our franchisees 

own 

their own 

homes and 

have been 

able to support 

their 

families in 

other ways, such as educating 

their children, is 

very satisfying. 

“I am sure that Andrew 

and Rezzi and their families 

will enjoy the same 

success as they build their 

business and I wish them 

the very best for their 

future.” 

- Supplied

BUHAY 

NZ 

12 ISSUE 164 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | MOB: 027 495 8477 


Exciting finale for Ambassadors’ Cup 

The Ambassadors' Cup Season 2 held an exciting season finale 

on 13 November at the Allan Brewster Leisure Centre in 

Papatoetoe, Auckland. 

This tournament aims to foster sportsmanship, provide emotional 

support and create opportunities for the integration of 

migrant Filipinos into mainstream New Zealand society. 

Congratulations to the 

winners of 

Ambassadors' Cup 

Season 2. 

Open Category Champion 

- O'Reilly’s. 

Runner-up - Peak Elites. 

MVP Season - Val Mercado. 

MVP Finals - Kevin Punzalan. 

Above 31 Category Champion - 

Manukau. 

Runner-up - Auckland Builders. 

MVP Season - C Lacson. 

MVP Finals - Bong Eldialde. 

Keep up-to-the-minute with Migrant News: 


Check us out on our print, online 

and social media channels. 

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new listings. Employers please list your jobs here. 

email: trabaho@xtra.co.nz 


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BOARD 


AUCKLAND - Regardless 

of their different 

social, economic, and political 

circumstances, Filipinos 

abroad tend to be 

lumped together as 

"Overseas Filipino Workers", 

or OFWs. 

Based on 2017 data from 

the Philippine Statistics 

Authority, OFWs comprise 

roughly 2 per cent of 

the total Filipino population. 

They are hosted by several 

countries worldwide, 

including New Zealand, 

where many are increasingly 

attracted not only to 

work, but also to "settle" 

with their families. 

However, despite the 

growing "Kiwinoy" community 

and the recognition 

that Filipinos now comprise 

the third-largest 

Asian population in New 

Zealand, there have been 

few studies on Filipino settlement 

in the country that 

go beyond usual reports of 

when they came, what they 

came for, and what they 

contribute. 

This is especially true for 

recent Filipino immigrants 

whose stories are distinct 

from those who came in 

the 80s, 90s, and even early 

2000s, and whose mobility 

patterns are much more 

complex than their predecessors. 

The following are some 

personal observations 

based on our interaction 

with Filipinos who have 

either acquired permanent 

residency or citizenship in 

New Zealand. 

New Zealand is a third 

home for many OFWs 

Three out of 10 Filipino 

couples we met between 

2017 and 2018 in Auckland 

- the region where most 

Filipinos in New Zealand 

reside - had previously 

worked and lived in some 

of the top host countries 

for OFWs. These include 

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the 

UAE, Singapore, Yemen 

and Japan. 

The majority of these 

people left the Philippines 

as singles in the early to 

mid-2000s primarily for 

better career opportunities, 

and met in their host 

countries, where they 

stayed for at least five 

years before moving to 

New Zealand together. 

Working previously in 

the IT, accounting and 

medical fields, many said 

that while they were satisfied 

financially, their priorities 

changed as they 

started to have children, in 

which case their migration 

motivation shifted from 

mere economic security to 

family wellbeing. 

This saw them relocate 

from their countries of 

work, where they had been 

"permanent contractual 

workers", to another 

where they could bring 

their families to settle longterm. 

As well as couples, we 

also met individuals who 

shared the same story of 

third country migration 

for the purpose of reuniting 

with loved ones whom 

they had left behind as 

OFWs. One woman left 

her husband and two children 

in the Philippines in 

the early 2000s to go and 

work as a nurse in the 

Middle East, but eventually 

got a job in New 

Zealand, where she has 

been living with her family 

for more than 15 years. 

In other cases, political 

instability and security 

were mentioned as main 

factors driving overseas 

relocation. In all cases, 

these Filipinos have 

become either permanent 

residents or citizens of New 

Zealand, contributing in 

various ways to local 

industries and communities. 

Male and female OFWs 

have equal opportunities 

In contrast to the alleged 

"feminisation" of Filipino 

labour overseas, Filipino 

labour in New Zealand is 

not stereotyped based on 

gender. 

For instance, it is not 

uncommon to meet Filipino 

male nurses, caregivers, 

and even daycare 

teachers in Auckland, and 

we have observed the same 

with Filipinas in so-called 

"male-dominated" sectors 

like IT and banking. 

This observation also 

seems to hold true for 

migrants of other ethnic 

backgrounds and is not 

surprising given New 

Zealand's consistent performance 

in terms of gender 

equality, ranking 7th 

among 149 countries in 

2018 based on the World 

Economic Forum's Global 

Gender Gap report. 

OFWs have a strong 

national identity but 

weak interest in homeland 

affairs 

The Kiwinoy community: 

What we know 

about Filipinos in NZ 

"Unlike most other labels used to 

characterise Filipinos of mixed 

descent, 'Kiwinoys' does not elicit 

a stigma." 

Filipinos comprise the 

third-largest Asian 

population in New Zealand. 

(photo supplied) 

By Gay Marie 

Francisco 

& Sarah D Lipura 

Many Filipinos come to New 

Zealand to settle long-term. 

(photo supplied) 

In our engagement with 

Filipino residents, we have 

observed how they remain 

proud of their Filipino 

identity while at the same 

time taking pride in New 

Zealand as their home. 

Unlike most other labels 

used to characterise Filipinos 

of mixed descent, the 

term "Kiwinoys" does not 

elicit a stigma. 

However, despite their 

strong cultural rootedness, 

what we have discovered is 

their seeming disinterest 

in, or apathy, towards 

homeland affairs. 

For example, in a minisurvey 

we conducted on 

the 'Concerns of Filipinos 

in New Zealand surrounding 

the upcoming midterm 

elections', 86 per cent 

of our respondents - all of 

whom are permanent residents 

- expressed strong 

concern about corruption 

in the Philippines but 

admitted they will not vote 

and are not actually registered 

voters. 

It is to be noted that even 

permanent residents remain 

qualified to vote, as 

stipulated by the Overseas 

Absentee Voting Act, for as 

long as they are duly registered. 

But a significant 

number shared the view 

that the outcomes of the 

elections will not directly 

affect them and neither 

does it bother them since 

their immediate families 

are already in New Zealand. 

"I am no longer updated 

on issues (in the Philippines). 

Maybe, the elections 

would affect me but I 

do not think of it since I am 

no longer residing there," 

explained one Filipino software 

tester who has been 

living in Auckland for five 

years. 

While inconclusive, we 

hope these observations 

will draw attention to the 

complex makeup of the 

estimated 72,612 Filipinos 

living in New Zealand. 

Permanent residents are 

just one of the cohorts and 

certainly, there are many 

issues to address, making a 

case for more in-depth and 

nuanced studies on Filipinos 

in New Zealand. 

Sarah Domingo Lipura 

and Gay Marie Francisco 

are Filipino international 

students and doctoral scholars 

at the University of 

Auckland. 

- Asia Media Centre 

The 7th Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards - 17 June 2023, Auckland. official website: filipinoheroes.nz 

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

14 ISSUE 164 TRABAHO | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | MOB: 027 495 8477 

www.migrantnews.nz : New Zealand’s first MULTICULTURAL newspaper. Published since 1991. 

Nurses eligible for immediate 

residency under immigration changes 

Nurses, midwives and 

any specialist doctors not 

already eligible will be 

added to the straight-toresidence 

pathway among 

a range of new immigration 

settings announced by 


Michael Wood. 

They will be able to enter 

the country under the new 

setting from this Thursday, 

15 December. 

A Specific Purpose work 

visa will also be added to 

help keep about 2500 critical 

workers in the country 

for up to three years, and a 

12-month Open Work Visa 

for the roughly 1800 people 

who had been on Post 

Study Work Visas but 

missed out when the border 

closed. 

Teachers, drainlayers, 

mechanics and other roles 

are also being added to the 

Green List, while bus and 

truck drivers will be eligible 

for a new temporary 

residence pathway. 

Employer accreditation 

is also being extended by a 

year for those whose first 

accreditation is for before 

4 July next year. 

This effectively means 

employers will be accredited 

for two years from the 

start instead of having a 

one-off one-year accreditation. 

Wood said accreditation 

requirements would also 

not be extended to all other 

employers, as had previously 

been proposed. 

He announced the moves 

alongside Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern following 

Monday's Cabinet meeting. 

A total 10 roles were 

being added to the Green 

List, he said. 

"As part of our signalled 

review, we are expanding 

Restaurants across New 

Zealand are having to reduce 

hours or close altogether 

because highly qualified 

chefs are being turned away 

due to an immigration technicality, 

National’s Immigration 

spokesperson Erica 

Stanford says. 

“Staff shortages are ham- 

Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and Immigration Minister Michael Wood 

Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver 

Added to Green List straight-to-residence 

path: 

Registered nurses (on 15 December 

2022) 

Midwives (on 15 December 2022) 

Specialist doctors not already on the 

Green List (on 15 December 2022) 

Registered Auditors (from March 2023) 

Added to Green List work-to-residence 

path from March: 

Civil construction supervisors 

the Green List settings to 

include more professions 

in our healthcare, education 

and construction sectors, 

to give a competitive 

edge in a highly competitive 

global environment," 

he said. 

"Since the pandemic 

3474 nurses have arrived 

in country, but it's clear we 

need to do more to encourage 

nurses to choose New 

Zealand. Adding these 

roles will further build on 

the attractiveness of New 

Zealand to those looking to 

set themselves and their 

families up long term." 

Health worker changes 

months after system 

brought in 

The government has 

faced heavy criticism for 

Green list changes 

not including nurses on the 

straight-to-residence pathway 

since it announced its 

immigration reset in May. 

Wood committed in July 

to monitor the settings for 

nurses. 

Ardern quoted the 

World Health Organisation's 

estimate the globe 

was likely to be short by 10 

million health workers by 

2030, and said New 

Zealand already had one of 

the easiest pathways for 

nurses to live and work. 

"But in a crowded market 

let's make the message 

even simpler. Our message 

to nurses everywhere: we 

are the best place to live, 

work and play, you will be 

able to seek immediate residence. 

mering New Zealand’s hospitality 

industry. Yet, under 

the current immigration settings, 

all migrant chefs must 

hold a ‘level four qualification’ 

regardless of their 

experience. 

“While Kiwi businesses 

continue to suffer, highquality 

chefs with experience 

working in some of the 

world’s top restaurants 

aren’t allowed to come here 

due to a technicality. 

“This is a problem that 


Michael Wood could fix 

today with the stroke of a 

pen. However, nothing has 

changed two months after 

Gasfitters 

Drain layers 

Skilled crane operators 

Skilled civil machine operators 

Halal slaughterers 

Skilled motor mechanics 

Skilled telecommunications technicians 

All secondary school teachers (some 

specialisations already on the Green 

List) 

Primary school teachers 

"With wages growing 

faster than inflation and 

with the ninth-lowest inflation 

out of 38 OECD countries, 

we have much to 

offer." 

Record numbers of nurses 

had been applying to 

work in New Zealand but 

the government had been 

asked to simplify things, 

she said. 

"We were attracting 

nurses, we want to get 

ahead of the issue though." 

The perception overall 

that the immigration settings 

were to blame for the 

labour shortage was not 

the whole story, Ardern 

said. 

"That means having 

decent wages, decent conditions, 

and a great place 

the Minister met with 

Hospitality New Zealand 

which pleaded with him to 

make changes. 

“This is a simple fix that 

would alleviate significant 

pressure on restaurants. As 

restaurants in Queenstown 

struggle to even open 

throughout the week for 

to live and work. New 

Zealand has that, this is 

about marketing ourselves 

successfully, not just about 

immigration settings. 

"I think it would be 

wrong to say it's simply 

about the rules, there's a 

number of roles all ready 

to be filled." 

Wood said it was a significant 

simplification 

compared to the pre-pandemic 

settings, which only 

a small subset of nurses 

would have been eligible 

for residency under. 

He said the whole world 

was experiencing labour 

shortages, and the government 

had already 

approved more than 

94,000 roles for international 

recruitment and 

40,000 working holiday 

visas, as well as the largest 

increase to the RSE 

scheme in a decade. 

However, a shortage of 

employees was still the 

biggest problem businesses 

were grappling with and 

the measures announced 

today would help, he said. 

"While some commentators 

are suggesting that 

our labour market is starting 

to lose some of its heat, 

we are continuing to pull 

out all the stops to position 

ourselves ahead of the 

pack," he said. 

"We are supporting 

those businesses and sectors 

feeling these shortages 

more acutely, like our 

healthcare workforce, with 

a mind to preparing for the 

year ahead." 

Changes for other sectors 

The deal for bus and 

truck drivers comes after 

Cabinet today agreed in 

principle they would be 

able to access a time-limited 

two-year residence. 

It would be set up 

through a sector agreement 

which is still being 

Government needs to make changes to bring in chefs 

developed by officials in 

consultation with the 

transport sector. 

"The agreement will 

support our work under 

way to improve better 

wages and conditions for 

bus drivers and local 

workforce development," 

Wood said. 

"This will help relieve 

the national driver shortage, 

helping Kiwis and 

goods get to where they 

need to go." 

The sector agreement is 

similar to those in place for 

other industries including 

construction, seafood, aged 

care, meat processing, seasonal 

snow, and adventure 

tourism. 

The Specific Purpose 

visa would be for longterm 

workers who played 

an important role during 

the Covid-19 pandemic but 

were ineligible for the 2021 

Resident Visa. 

It would allow them to 

continue in their current 

role for up to three years. 

The Open Work Visa 

would available to people 

who had a Post Study 

Work Visa but were unable 

to use it after the border 

closed. These people would 

be able to enter and work 

in New Zealand for up to a 

year if not already on 

another visa. 

Wood said the Green 

List "has been under constant 

review" and would 

be next reviewed in the 

middle of next year. 

He could not say how 

many people would be 

expected to come into New 

Zealand on the new settings, 

saying the system 

was geared towards identifying 

whether there was a 

need for more labour. 

He said the rebalance 

was about turning away 

from "what was a pretty 

unregulated system previously". 

tourists, the Government 

must make changes immediately 

to allow experienced 

chefs into New Zealand. 

“The hospitality sector has 

been battered by closed borders 

and Covid restrictions 

for nearly three years. But 

now, when workers and 

chefs are desperately needed, 

the 

Government 

continues to 

hold them 

back based 

on a ridiculous 

technicality 

that 

could be 

changed 

immediately.” 

National’s 

Immigration 

spokesperson 

Erica Stanford

ISSUE 164 HEALTH SECTOR | www.migrantnews.nz | email: migrantnews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | Facebook: Migrant New 15 

MIGRANT NEWS - Immigration News, Settlement Support ... New Zealand’s first Migrant community newspaper. Published since 1991. Print. Online. Social Media. 

PROFESSOR PAUL SPOONLEY 

says the needs of diverse 

ethnic groups can still be 

considered within a 

bi-cultural framework for 

health provision. Photo: 

RNZ / Katie Scotcher. 

By LUCY XIA 

Health practitioners 

and experts are concerned 

that Te Whatu 

Ora has failed to address 

Asian health needs in its 

latest plan. 

Its interim planning 

report Te Pae Tata was 

released in late October 

and sets out what is 

planned for the first two 

years of the health sector 

transformation. 

While the 2018 census 

showed Asians were 

16 percent of Aotearoa's 

population, and was projected 

to reach 26 percent 

in two decades, the word 

Asian appeared just once 

in the report of over 100 

pages. 

Director Kelly Feng of 

Asian Family Services 

which provides mental 

health support to Asians 

said it was disappointing. 

She said their feedback 

to Te Whatu Ora has fallen 

on deaf ears. 

"We've been to all the 

meetings they had and all 

the submissions we had to 

highlight Asian needs for 

mental health and addiction 

need to be prioritised, 

and what we see 

now in the plan, again 

nothing about us. It's 

really disappointing." 

One of New Zealand's 

leading population experts, 

Professor Paul 

Spoonley from Massey 

University, said it was an 

oversight for Aotearoa's 

fastest growing ethnic 

group to be overlooked in 

health planning. 

"It just seems very puzzling 

to me that health 

systems in this country 

are not seeing this as a 

very significant part of 

their future health provision," 

he said. 

Spoonley said while 

Auckland was the biggest 

centre for Asian communities, 

Asian populations 

were also increasing in 

the regions. For instance, 

AUCKLAND GP DR CARLOS 

LAM said diverse Asians 

had unique challenges and 

cultural barriers but these 

were often neglected in 

health campaigns. 

Photo: Supplied. 

in the South Island there 

was a growing Filipino 

community working in 

the dairy sector. 

He said the health and 

social needs of Asians in 

all regions needed to be 

considered. 

"We need all those 

regions and rural centres 

to really understand that 

migration from Asia within 

NZ is going to be part 

of their future, and they 

really need to take 

notice." 

Spoonley said threequarters 

of Asian Kiwis 

were migrants and they 

faced more language and 

CALL FOR ASIAN VIEWS 

TO BE CANVASSED FOR 

HEALTHCARE PLANNING 

“POLICY MAKERS OUT OF TOUCH 

WITH ASIAN COMMUNITIES” - Dr Lam 

cultural barriers to 

accessing mainstream 

services. 

He said there should be 

no conflict in catering to 

the needs of New 

Zealand's diverse ethnic 

groups within a bi-cultural 

framework for health 

provision. 

Spoonley said Maori 

values such as manaakitanga 

(the process of 

showing care and respect) 

could also inspire 

approaches to health 

planning for ethnic communities. 

O U T O F T O U C H 

Meanwhile, Auckland 

GP Carlos Lam said policymakers 

were out of 

touch with Asian communities. 

"The people who created 

that document absolutely 

have no idea what's 

actually going on within 

Auckland, and they don't 

actually have a clear idea 

of what's happening in 

the biggest population 

centres in New Zealand 

where the majority of the 

Asian population reside," 

he said. 

Dr Lam said diverse 

Asians had unique challenges 

and cultural barriers, 

but these were often 

neglected in health campaigns. 

"High rates of diabetes 

in our south Asian populations, 

that's almost 

never talked about in 

mainstream media, and 

unfortunately there's no 

targeted programmes to 

address these issues. 

"And I think there's 

other things too I could go 

on about, for example 

cervical smears in 

women. Asian women 

have the lowest rates, I 

haven't seen a specific 

programme out there to 

target cervical smears 

among our Asians," he 

said. 

Data from the Public 

Health Association (PHA- 

NZ) showed Asians also 

have some of the lowest 

GP enrolment rates. 

As of last July, Asian 

New Zealanders' enrolment 

with GPs was 84 

percent, one percent higher 

than Maori. 

Otago University PhD 

student Denzel Chung, 

who is researching Chinese 

Kiwis' experience of 

mental health services, 

said NGOs (non-governmental 

organisations) 

were carrying the load for 

providing culturally appropriate 

support where 

public services were lacking. 

Chung said there was 

also a general lack of 

research into Asian health 

needs. 

The last comprehensive 

Asian health report funded 

by the Ministry of 

DR KELLY FENG, the 

director of Asian Family 

Health Services, said it was 

disapppointing a Te Whatu 

Ora report failed to 

address Asian needs. 

Photo: Aruna Po-Ching / 

The Asian Network Inc 

Health was from 16 years 

ago, and the most recent 

analysis of Asian health 

data from the annual New 

Zealand Health Survey 

was done six years ago. 

The Ministry of Health 

would not respond on 

whether it thought that 

was good enough. 

Te Whatu Ora transformation 

and enablers 

director Rachel Haggerty 

said Te Pae Tata focused 

mostly on Maori, Pacific 

and disabled people 

where the need was greatest 

to achieve equitable 

outcomes in the short 

term. 

When asked why Asian 

health needs were not 

addressed in Te Pae Tata, 

Haggerty said as an interim 

report, it did not 

include changes for every 

community or circumstance, 

but instead looked 

at key priorities. 

However, she said it was 

working with the Ministry 

of Ethnic Communities 

to ensure all communities 

got better care. 

Haggerty said Te 

Whatu Ora will look at 

access to interpretation 

services for ethnic groups, 

and will also do a stocktake 

of mental health 

services for Asian and 

ethnic providers. 

Te Whatu Ora could 

not give a timeline for 

those plans. 

- Published with special 

permission from RNZ 

some confronting statistics 

about how the rising 

cost of living is impacting 

Asian parents and their 

children - from the 2023 

nib State of the Nation 

Parenting Survey. 

The annual survey of 

over 1,200 Kiwi parents, 

commissioned by nib New 

Zealand, revealed that 

Rising cost of living is impacting 

Asian parents and their children, survey 

ethnic minorities are feeling 

the burden of financial, 

societal and household 

pressures compared 

to their Pakeha counterparts: 

• 62% of Kiwi parents 

say the rising cost of living 

affects their ability to 

raise children - but this 

was significantly more for 

Asian (73%), Maori 

(72%) and Pasifika parents 

(72%) 

• 34% of Pakeha parents 

said they are reducing 

unnecessary spending 

(e.g. toys, games, gifts) - 

compared to Maori 

(47%), Pacific Islanders 

(55%), Asian (42%) parents 

who are cutting back 

far more 

• 10% of Pakeha parents 

say they go without 

essentials, like petrol and 

skipping meals - but this 

was more for Maori 

(13%), Pacific Islanders 

(21%), Asian (22%)

16 ISSUE 164 I M M I G R A T I O N www.migrantnews.nz | email: migrantnews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | Facebook: Migrant News 

MIGRANT NEWS - www.migrantnews.nz : New Zealand’s first Migrant community newspaper. Published since 1991. Print. Online. Social Media. 

WELLINGTON – 

Excitement is building for 

skilled migrants who resettled 

in Aotearoa New 

Zealand recently, but 

could not bring their parents 

over to join them as 

residents, because changes 

are afoot. 

The long-awaited parent 

visa has been reactivated 

after a major review of it in 

2016. The program was 

suspended because it was 

apparent that some 

migrants were not supporting 

their parents and 

failed to meet their 

parental sponsorship obligations. 

The modernised and 

updated policy was supposed 

to have come online 

in 2020, but the government 

had to temporarily 

shut down the program 

while the pandemic was 

upon us. 

Fortunately, the Government 

is now opening the 

doors again and welcoming 

2,000 parents to 

become residents here. 


Parent category opens with 

2,000 visas a year on offer 

“We recognise the 

importance for migrants 

resettling here to have a 

pathway for their parents 

to join them,” said 


Michael Wood. 

“We are resuming selections 

of the Parent Category 

Expressions of 

Interest (EOIs), which will 

see New Zealand become 

an even more attractive 

destination for high skilled 

migrants looking to resettle 

long term. 

“Knowing that they can 

bring their families will 

ensure that New Zealand is 

competitive in a global 

market and will give people 

certainty so they can 

make the decision to come 

here faster.” 

"We have been pushing 

for the re-opening of the 

Parent Category Visa since 

2019, working with local 

MP’s and other community 

ethnic groups, but sadly, 

it was put aside during the 

2-year covid border 

restrictions,' said Mikee 

Santos of Migrante 

Aotearoa. 

"Firstly, we welcome the 

recent announcement of 

the opening of the parent 

visa. It's a step in the right 

direction. But the threshold 

is still too high. Many 

of our compatriots/ 

kababayans won't be able 

to meet the criteria. 

“We commiserate with 

those who been "left out" 

and unable to qualify and 

are disadvantaged. We feel 

there is still a lot of work 

yet to be done to make it 

more equitable." 

The first selection of 

EOIs has already begun 

and will continue to be 

chosen in date order, with 

the oldest EOIs being 

selected first. 

Selections will take place 

every quarter, with up to 

2,000 visas a year granted 

to people with existing 

expressions of 

interest. 

“The Parent 

Category restarting 

will 

support 

skilled migrants 

to feel more settled 

in New Zealand and 

increase their wellbeing by 

having their family network 

there to support 

them,” Michael Wood said. 

“Selections resuming 

today is the first step in 

this process.” 

More information on the 

Parent Category and EOI 

process can be found on 

the Immigration New 


Michael Wood 

(photo: Twitter) 

Mikee Santos 

Migrante Aotearoa 

(photo: Ayesha Ronquillo) 

Zealand website : https:// 

www.immigration.govt.nz 

More immigration updates 

available at migrantnews.nz

Filipino News 164

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