Filipino News 172

BUHAY
NZ
08 ISSUE 172 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | MOB: 027 495 8477
www.filipinoheroes.nz : Over a 120 Filipino Kiwi Heroes have been recognised over the years by Filipino News NZ.
AUCKLAND - Just like
in the Philippines, Filipino
pageants in New Zealand are
becoming a source of pride
for Filipinos all around the
country. It is evident
that communities
are eager to get
involved in uplifting
contestants and
supporting them to
learn about their
cultural heritage.
“Beauty pageants
are like sporting
events for Filipinos,”
says Maricel
Weischede, proud
mother of the Miss
only expectation when she
joined was for her to have
fun, enjoy the moment, do
her best and embrace the
Filipino sentiment towards
KATHARINA WEISCHEDE has
been nominated for the Filipino-Kiwi
Hero Award for Youth Achievement
www.filipinoheroes.nz
the hem of her dress.
The ‘tapis’ wrapped
around her waist is a garment
meant to showcase the
region of the Philippines it
came from. The handwoven
fabric for the 'tapis' was
made from indigenous textiles
from the Mindanao
region.
Before it was replaced
with the Miss Philippines
crown, Katharina wore a
headpiece representing the
rays of the sun featured on
the Philippine flag, which
symbolises freedom and
independence.
The Mindanao fabric tapis
from Germany. She recorded
the music accompaniment
for the pageant winner’s performance.
A couple of days before
the pageant Dwayne Mallo,
also a Filipino-Kiwi fashion
designer, came on board to
give tips on how to walk and
pose on stage.
“It takes a village to raise
a queen,” says Maricel,
acknowledging the community
support that helped
Katharina, right from picking
the dress to refining her
performances and ultimately
in securing the title.
Now Katharina is on
“It takes a village to raise a Queen.”
Philippines NZ winner,
Katharina Weischede.
“Just like an athlete needs
a team of coaches and trainers,
Katharina had a team of
passionate supporters who
helped her win the crown
and get closer to her cultural
heritage.”
What was the motivation
for her to join the pageant?
“My mom and I started
watching beauty pageants
together when I did a
research project for school
about the significance of
beauty pageants when I was
in year 10,” admits
Katharina, a Year 12 student
at Auckland’s St. Cuthbert's
College.
“Even at a young age a lot
of my Filipino mates were
saying that I had what it
takes to be a beauty queen.
But my mom never encouraged
me or said that I was
born to do pageantry. It was
never like that.
“Then last year my Mom
told me about the Miss
Philippines NZ Pageant
and inspired me to join. But
it was more an impromptu
decision to participate in it.”
Maricel chips in: “My
beauty pageants.”
As the dazzling crown
graced Katharina’s head, it
wasn't just the radiance of
the tiara that illuminated the
moment; it was the culmination
of efforts from a diverse
village that helped raise this
queen.
Delia Richards a community
leader in Christchurch,
provided Philippine costumes
for Katharina to select
from and wear for the pageant.
Katharina’s Philippine
national costume, a ‘traje de
mestiza’ adorned with an
intricate handwoven badjao
pandan ‘tapis’, was a masterpiece
representing the
pageant winner’s rich cultural
heritage.
Auckland-based Filipino-
Kiwi fashion designer
Dennis Sayat repurposed
Katharina’s Princess Belle
gown into a Filipiniana
‘terno’ and paired it with a
headpiece and ‘tapis'.
The ‘traje de mestiza’
gown was customized by
Dennis Sayat. "The golden
yellow gown symbolizes
elegance and grace, reflecting
the vibrant spirit of the
Philippines," explains
Maricel. “Katharina was
born on Philippine
Independence Day and was
named after the sunshine.
The gown she chose to wear
was a rightful reflection of
Katharina’s personality, as
she always brings sunshine
and warmth whenever she is
around.”
Even at the last minute, a
couple of hours before the
final night, another fashion
designer, Pi of Paraluman,
came to the rescue to adjust
and the headpiece were provided
by Delia Richards,
who heads a Filipino
migrant group in
Christchurch.
Her hairstyling was done
by Belen Mitchell, who
magically transformed
Katharina in a matter of minutes.
Katharina’s rendition of
‘Kataka Taka', a popular
Filipino folk song, during
the Talent and Cultural
Night of the pageant was
facilitated by two talented
musical artists who provided
guidance.
The assistance of Ann
Jiminez De Guzman
proved to be a big help for
Katharina. This Filipino-
Kiwi music teacher, who has
a masters in music from
New Zealand, utilised her
expertise to give vocal
coaching to Katharina and
help refine her pronunciation
of Filipino words.
Susan Be
recently migrated
to New
Zealand as a
song writer and
recording artist
with a doctorate
another mission, this time in
the Philippines. “One of my
personal advocacies is to
work with street children
and orphans in the
Philippines,” she shares. “I
have been involved in this
area since I was five years
old.”
This January 2024, she is
travelling to the Philippines
to give aid to charitable
organisations such as the
‘He Cares Foundation',
‘Vision of Help International
Foundation', ‘Cribs
Foundation’ and ‘Scot
Foundation'.
To cap it all off, on
January 17th she was welcomed
by officials at the NZ
Embassy in Manila.
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