Filipino News Election 2017

1Number 

#1 FILIPINO COMMUNITY PAPER SINCE 2000 

Two Editions Fortnightly : NZ wide & South Island. 

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

2017 

Vol 8 No 107 

North 

and 

South 

Island 

W: www.filipinonews.nz, www.pinoynzlife.nz | E: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | M: 027 495 8477 P: 09 838 1221 | F: Filipino Migrant News 

Jacinda gets 

the crown. 

The Labour Party has 

announced that it will hit the 

ground running in government, 

with a programme of 

work across housing, health, 

education, families, the environment 

and other priority 

areas. 

In the first 100 days of 

Jacinda’s reign she will be 

tackling some of these target 

areas: 

Make the first year of tertiary 

education or training fees 

free from January 1, 2018. 

Increase student allowances 

and living cost loans by 

$50 a week from January 1, 

2018. 

Pass the Healthy Homes 

Guarantee Bill, requiring all 

rentals to be warm and dry. 

Ban overseas speculators 

from buying existing houses. 

Issue an instruction to 

Housing New Zealand to stop 

the state house sell-off 

Begin work to establish the 

Affordable Housing Authority 

and begin the KiwiBuild 

programme. 

Legislate to pass the 

Families Package, including 

the Winter Fuel Payment, Best 

Start and increases to Paid 

Parental Leave, to take effect 

from 1 July 2018. 

Set up a Ministerial Inquiry 

in order to fix our mental 

health crisis. 

Introduce legislation to 

make medicinal cannabis 

available for people with terminal 

illnesses or in chronic 

pain. 

Resume contributions to the 

New Zealand Super-annuation 

Fund to help safeguard 

the provision of universal 

superannuation at age 65. 

Editor - Please follow this story 

on www. filipinonews.nz 

pg 13 

pg 10 

DING 

DONG’S 

NEW 

MOVIE 

8 YEAR 

OLD 

OPERA 

PRODIGY 

Jazz Vidamo 

CULTURE 

CLASH 

pg 11

02 ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | tel: 027 495 8477 | www.pinoynzlife.nz filipinoheroes.nz 

THE RESULTS: 

MIGRANT MPS 

Now that the Special Votes have 

been counted the line-up of Asian MPs 

heading to Parliament has been confirmed. 

Sadly, once again only six List MPs 

with fairly high ranking within the 

Labour and National Parties 

managed to pull through. 

The Green Party was able to 

get Golriz Ghahraman across 

the line at the eleventh hour 

after the special votes were 

counted. She is the first refugee to 

ever enter Parliament as a Green MP. 

The most spectacular loss was that of 

the former New Zealand First List MP 

Mahesh Bindra, even though he was 

pushed up on his Party’s list just 

before the election. 

top: Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

(Labour) 

middle: Raymond Huo (Labour) 

bottom: Golriz Ghahraman (Greens) 

Eleksyon 2017 

left: 

Kanwaljit Singh 

Bakshi (National) 

below: 

Dr Paramjit Parmar 

(National) 

above: 

Melissa Lee 

(National) 

left: Dr Jian Yang 

(National) 

Post-Election Euphoria or Malaise? 

O P I N I O N 

M e l F e r n a n d e z 

Another election is 

behind us and there has 

been no change on one 

front - the electoral 

prospects for Asian candidates 

has once again 

proven to be dismal. 

Kiwis were not quite 

ready to vote for them. 

Subsequently, their presence 

in Parliament is 

courtesy of the MMP voting 

system that allows 

List MPs to get in without 

proving that they had the 

public’s support by battling 

it out in the electorates. 

Now that the Special 

Votes have been counted 

the line-up of Asian MPs 

heading to Parliament has 

been confirmed. Sadly, 

once again only six List 

MPs with fairly high 

ranking within the 

Labour and National 

Parties managed to pull 

through. 

The winners in the 

‘migrants going to 

Parliament’ stakes for 

Labour are as follows: 

Newcomer Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan 

- this is her first 

term in Parliament. 

And Raymond Huo, 

who is into his 4th 

term. 

As for the National 

Party - Melissa Lee 

and Kanwaljit Singh 

Bakshi are both 

embarking on their 

4th term. Dr Jian 

Yang is into his 3rd 

term and it is Dr 

Paramjeet Parmar’s 

second term. 

The Green Party 

managed to get 

Golriz Ghahraman 

across the line at the 

eleventh hour after 

the special votes were 

counted. She is the first 

refugee to ever enter 

Parliament as a Green 

MP. Nice one. 

This year, for the very 

first time, two Filipino 

candidates were roped in 

to battle for seats in 

Parliament - Labour’s 

Romy Udanga was the 

candidate for the North 

Shore seat and Paulo 

Garcia was the candidate 

for New Lynn. Neither 

were successful in their 

electorates and did not 

manage to get in via the 

List route. 

What was different 

about this election is the 

fact that a record number 

of Asian candidates were 

picked by Party bosses to 

stand in electorates that 

had a fairly large multicultural 

population. None 

of them were successful - 

so there were losers a 

plenty. The most spectacular 

loss was that of the 

former New Zealand First 

List MP Mahesh Bindra, 

even though he was 

pushed up on his Party’s 

list just before the election. 

He was in Parliament 

for one term. 

The New Zealand 

People’s Party was the 

only migrant party in this 

election. It did not stand 

any candidates in the electorates. 

It was banking on 

getting enough party 

votes to reach the minimum 

threshold and land 

some List MPs in Parliament. 

They garnered 

close to 1,900 votes, which 

was well below the target 

number of votes. 

Party Leader Roshan 

Nauhria told FMN that he 

was not discouraged by 

his Party’s performance. 

He sees it as a valuable 

learning curve and has 

set his sights on the 

next election. He hopes 

to field as many as 56 

candidates of different 

ethnicities all over the 

country to generate a 

wider base of support 

for the Party. 

Currently the Party 

has three Indian and 

three Chinese list candidates. 

It hopes to 

add some Filipino, 

Middle Eastern and 

African faces in the 

near future. 

From a recent straw 

poll Migrant News has 

gauged that Asian New 

Zealanders have 

mixed feelings about 

the outcome of this election. 

Most concerning is 

the fact that only 6 Asian 

MPs got into Parliament. 

Furthermore, not everyone 

is pleased with the 

MPs who are representing 

them in Parliament. 

Editorial cartoon by 

Jason Aragon

ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | tel: 027 495 8477 | www.pinoynzlife.nz filipinoheroes.nz 03 

O P I N I O N 

D r S a p n a S a m a n t 

Asian New 

Zealanders 

should not have 

to put up with 

ineffectual 

representation 

chosen by 

Pakeha party 

bosses, writes 

Porirua GP and 

film-maker 

Sapna Samant. 

With just over a month to 

election day we’re overwhelmed 

with voices from 

the left and the right, punditry 

and predictions. A considerable 

majority of it is by 

Pakeha, for Pakeha. 

I stand on the outside marvelling 

at the disconnection. 

The lack of engagement and 

laziness in reaching out. The 

poor can’t speak the truth 

about poverty without being 

judged. Maori issues are 

auxiliary. There are hardly 

Asian New Zealanders deserve better 

than Asian MPs chosen by Pakeha bosses. 

any Pacific voices and 

'immigration' raises its ugly 

head again – not about palagi 

and their accents migrating 

to Aotearoa, but about 

the Asians invading. 

There are only two types 

of Asians as Pakeha see us. 

First, the model minority. 

Highly educated, hard working, 

tax paying, well off, 

secretly aspiring to be white, 

but bringing out the dress 

and dance of their countries 

of origin for festivals to 

maintain their culture. The 

desirables. An asset to the 

economy. 

Then there are those shelf 

stackers at the bottom of the 

chain trying to learn English, 

who take away jobs from 

Kiwis, who should not be 

allowed into this country. 

Those already here should 

just be sent home. 

Above them all, the Asian 

MPs. Handpicked for the 

magical powers which 

assuage that imaginary 

Asian model minority. To 

reassure them of their place 

in New Zealand. This little 

paradise where they can 

dream unencumbered by 

poor, criminal undesirables 

as long (subtext) as they 

exist beneath the Great 

Whiteness, unequal. 

Once upon a long time 

ago, when Rajen Prasad 

was number 12 on the 

Labour list and campaigning 

before the 2008 elections, he 

was gushingly invited to the 

stage during the Miss 

IndiaNZ contest. He took 

off his jacket, did a twirl and 

promised to have “more celebrations 

of Indian culture” 

when he became an MP. 

More Diwali, more samosas, 

more sarees, more Bollywood 

dancing, more exoticisation. 

More homogenous 

non-threatening ethnic otherness. 

Indian culture. A flattened 

palimpsest. 

There are six Asian MPs 

in our parliament today. All 

list MPs. All, and I am trying 

to be generous here, useless. 

Across the 17 years I have 

lived in Aotearoa I can’t 

think of a single moment any 

Asian MP shone. Maybe 

Pansy Wong. Briefly. But 

she had to go because she 

misused her travel perks. I 

mean, Judith Collins 

pitched Oravida to the 

Chinese on an official trip. 

She was given three warnings, 

resigned and came 

back totally not contrite. 

Todd Barclay will go and 

return at some point, supposedly 

older and wiser. Pansy 

never will. No forgiveness, 

no second chance, no 

redemption. Such is the burden 

of the colour of your 

skin. 

Political site Trans 

Tasman ranks our 

MPs each year. 

MELISSA LEE 

Melissa Lee rated a lowly 

2 out of a possible 10. “Past 

her use by date,” the website 

said. Not that she ever did 

anything concrete, despite 

being in parliament since 

2008. When she did open her 

mouth it was about a booboo 

about downloading 

music illegally. What else? 

Nothing for the Asian communities. 

I have seen her 

pontificate to young Koreans 

on how to be successful 

without moaning about 

racism. 

KANWALJEET BAKSHI 

Kanwaljeet Bakshi. 

Rating: 2/10. “Maybe it’s 

better if he doesn’t say anything 

…” He had no idea 

that the Shakti Wellington 

Refuge was closing down 

due to lack of funds. 

Uninformed, unaware. This 

faulty fridge, though, has 

many points on the Bill 

English Loyalty Programme. 

That’s all. 

JIAN YANG 

Jian Yang. Rating: 3/10. 

Heard of this dude? Apparently 

doing a good job in 

his constituency. A recent 

WTV-Trace Chinese voter 

poll showed that 40.3% of 

the 1250 eligible Chinese 

voters surveyed thought that 

Jian Yang would be the one 

to serve the Chinese community 

most effectively, but 

41.9% said that they were 

not sure. 

continues on page 4

04 ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | tel: 027 495 8477 | www.pinoynzlife.nz www.filipinoheroes.nz 

Eleksyon 2017 

O P I N I O N 

B y A a r o n M a r t i n 

AUCKLAND - The 

results of the election suggest 

that the next year will 

be very interesting for the 

migrant community. 

As predicted, Winston 

Peters is the kingmaker. 

For 21 years Peters has 

pushed an anti-migrant 

platform and we can 

expect that any coalition 

deal New Zealand First 

makes - whether with 

Labour or National - will 

include some attempt to 

curtail immigration numbers. 

However, both major 

parties promised largescale 

infrastructure works 

in this election. These 

THE POLITICS OF IMMIGRATION Part 4 : Coalition Deals 

What impact will Winston Peters 

bring to the migrant community? 

projects would place enormous 

pressure on the 

market that could only be 

relieved by labour and 

skills from offshore. 

Already many employers 

have discovered that 

'the skills shortage' has 

become a plain 'labour 

shortage' and they are 

struggling to fill essential 

positions. I predict greater 

pressure on the government 

from employers for 

work visas. 

Therefore, I speculate 

that any coalition deal will 

put some restraint on New 

Zealand First's efforts to 

cut migrant numbers. 

Several legislative 

changes this year already 

make it more difficult for 

migrants to live and work 

in New Zealand. Dramatic 

changes to residence visa 

rules have reduced the 

number of people who 

qualify for residence. And 

major changes to work 

visa rules have tightened 

time restrictions on how 

long migrant workers can 

stay. 

Many migrants, particularly 

in the lower-paid 

restaurant industry, will 

have to apply for repeated 

one-year work visas until 

they are forced to leave 

the country after three 

years. Some will also find 

it much more difficult to 

bring spouses and children 

with them to New 

Zealand. 

These changes are likely 

to discourage people from 

accepting jobs in New 

Zealand, putting further 

pressure on the labour 

market. 

Employers will need to 

develop new pathways for 

skilled migrant workers to 

obtain residence. They 

will need to familiarise 

themselves with the new 

rules to establish how long 

their workers will be able 

to stay in New Zealand so 

they can plan their human 

resource capabilities over 

a business cycle. 

We have created a free 

online resource for 

employers to help them 

through the issues of 

employing candidates like 

this and we predict that 

the demand for this information 

will increase tenfold 

this year. 

People coming to New 

Zealand for work with a 

view to migrating permanently 

will also need good 

practical advice to avoid 

errors and unexpected 

surprises along the way. 

Migrants and employers 

both need expert guidance 

to ensure that the new 

rules can work for them. 

Winston Peters, NZ First 

The issues are not insurmountable, 

but it’s going 

to be essential to have 

experienced advocates 

looking after you. 

- Aaron Martin is the 

Principal Immigration 

Lawyer at New Zealand 

Immigration Law. 

Asian MPs chosen by Pakeha bosses 

By Dr Sapna Samant 

- continues from page 3 

I would like to think of 

myself as very politically 

engaged and even I had difficulty 

remembering that 

there is a Chinese MP in the 

National Party. 

In 2012 I asked all the 

Asian MPs at that time how 

they were going to vote on 

the gay marriage bill. 

Melissa Lee and Jian Yang 

did not reply. Bakshi said 

that he had made his views 

very public, but he would 

not provide a single public 

statement to the community, 

nothing on Facebook or 

Twitter. He had commented 

on a private Sikh community 

forum saying that the Guru 

Granth Sahib prohibited 

same sex marriage, but 

could not provide the exact 

words from the holy text 

when asked. And now the 

drama over the kirpan. 

Not to forget Parmjeet 

Parmar from National. 

Simon Wilson called her 

New Zealand’s feeblest John 

Key Parrot before she lost 

the Mt Roskill by-election. 

‘Nuff said. 

NZ First’s Mahesh Bindra 

was rated by the Trans 

Tasman website 1/10. Can’t 

go lower than that. In August 

2014 he told The Indian 

PARMJEET PARMAR MAHESH BINDRA RAYMOND HUO P. RADHAKRISHNAN 

Weekender that he was a 

member of the Rashtriya 

Swayamsevak Sangh back in 

India. This is a Hindu 

extremist organisation. 

Raymond Huo from 

Labour has just got back into 

parliament and is quite 

entirely forgettable from 

before anyway. 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

I am going to mention 

because she was on the 

Labour list during the last 

elections and her current 

high rank on the party’s list 

is creating a mini frenzy on 

social media about an awoken 

Labour. 

Priyanca had a three-year 

head start on developing a 

comprehensive discourse 

about women of colour, 

equality and immigration. 

She worked for Shakti a 

long time ago but did not 

even have a strong statement 

to make when the Shakti 

Wellington Refuge shut 

down. Just a few wishywashy 

lines on her Facebook 

page and then a Shakti Youth 

video for Refuge Appeal 

month. 

Even safety, health, public 

transport and housing – the 

issues she wants to focus on 

– seem to have been dealt 

with superficially. 

Articulating the real reason 

behind the theft and violence 

in dairies or an impassioned 

korero about poverty 

would have been more effective 

than waiting to get into 

parliament. 

Maybe I am being too 

harsh. But how long do we 

have to put up with ineffectual 

representation chosen 

by Pakeha party leaders and 

their non-transparent techniques 

of selection? 

You are of colour, Asiatic 

Oriental, seem to gather a 

crowd, speak a different language, 

therefore you will do. 

How do they decide 'ethnic' 

representation for list MPs? 

Apart from the Green Party, 

which has a very clear and 

open process. 

A few years ago I interviewed 

Phil Goff and asked 

him whether he thought that 

multiculturalism was “so 

20th century”. He said that 

ethnic people have a right to 

keep their languages and 

their cultures. 

What’s the problem? Not 

being able to tell the difference 

between cultural maintenance 

and multiculturalism. 

On the one hand you are 

slagging off immigrants 

(always people of colour) 

and measuring their worth 

only in economic terms. On 

the other hand, if you invite 

these communities to vote 

for your party by putting up 

lame and bland representatives 

who are populist, patriarchal, 

perpetuating the 

model minority myth and 

just blurting out the party 

line, then it is only tokenism. 

Because you don’t really 

care about transcultural 

Aotearoa. You don’t even 

know what it means! 

Living in Aotearoa, moving 

up the socioeconomic 

ladder, even those Asians 

born here will continue to 

face microaggressions and 

institutional racism. That is 

everyday life. 

The desire to stay connected 

to your whakapapa and 

the balance to exist in a 

western world is a constant 

struggle. 

For new migrants the fear 

of losing their culture is real. 

But what is inevitable is that 

we adapt. Some assimilate, 

most integrate. What we forget 

is that our lives are in 

Aotearoa. So we should be 

concerned about issues here. 

Mental health, domestic 

violence and child abuse, 

poverty, the environment, 

equality, human rights, Te 

Tiriti o Waitangi. These are 

not just for Maori and 

Pacific people. Law and 

order is not just about putting 

more police on the 

streets. 

A homeless person is not 

someone else’s problem. 

Because we are not like that; 

because we don’t go on the 

dole. 

Then we feed into that 

very myth that Pakeha politicians 

and the pillars of our 

communities like to reproduce. 

To break that, to participate 

as equals in daily politics 

and contribute towards 

solutions, we must demand 

representatives that easily 

cross over from ethnic to 

mainstream – and those who 

speak up. Not just those who 

accompany delegations to 

China, Korea and India; not 

just those who make their 

Pakeha colleagues wear 

sarees and cheongsams or 

celebrate Diwali and Lantern 

Festival in parliament. 

There is much more. We 

have to start by asking questions. 

Editor - The opinions 

expressed in this article are the 

author’s own and do not represent 

the views of the Publisher. 

This article was reproduced 

with permission of the author.

ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | MOBILE: 027 495 8477 | www.pinoynzlife.nz filipinoheroes.nz 05 

O P I N I O N 

B y N o e l B a u t i s t a 

(Paunawa: sincere apologies 

everyone, nothing here 

is backed up by research, 

stats or expert analysis, 

napag-uusapan lang po and 

is based on the Man on The 

Street’s barbershop opinion, 

mabuhay po tayong lahat!) 

The closest anyone got to 

talking about the biggest 

non-issue in the last NZ 

elections was when dearly 

departed Labour Party leader 

Andrew Little (who did his 

party the biggest favour by 

giving way to Jacinda 

Ardern, I’m not being partisan 

by any means), days 

before his resignation from 

the Labour Party leadership, 

said something like when we 

win the majority in 

Parliament we will take 

thousands of jobs away from 

immigrants. 

As simple as that. He 

spent the next 24 hours and 

the next media cycle (a period 

of time during which a 

major news story gets coverage 

on multi-media and after 

which media moves on to the 

next big news event) explaining 

himself, what he meant 

exactly and how he intended 

to do such a thing. 

Unsurprisingly, such a 

thoughtless statement didn’t 

score him any points on the 

polls and falling on his 

sword he handed in his resignation 

a very short time 

later. 

Without consulting anyone, 

I can remember this 

fairly clearly because it was 

one of the more memorable 

pronouncements of the campaign. 

Nobody, and I mean 

nobody, makes a statement 

like that about taking away 

jobs, whether from immigrants 

or what-not without 

exposing himself/herself to 

repercussions. 

It was a mighty gamble, 

designed to win sympathy 

from the unemployed and 

underemployed and whomever 

thinks that migrants are 

taking jobs away from New 

Zealanders, but here’s the 

thing: the skilled migrant 

visa pathway of the NZ 

Government works and most 

migrant jobs are jobs that 

New Zealanders can’t or 

won’t take. 

Note that I didn’t say that 

the whole residency/visa 

pathway of Immigration 

works, nor that there is an 

imbalance between the number 

of guest/foreign workers 

in New Zealand and what 

The biggest non-issue 

in NZ's 2017 elections 

and why it still matters 

New Zealand can absorb 

without harming its own citizens. 

That would take a lot 

of figuring, analysis and 

economic models requiring 

serious study, taking longer 

than the time it takes to post 

this blog or prepare tonight’s 

dinner. 

You’ve probably guessed 

what that hot non-issue is: 

the unlamented Andrew 

Little gave his two cents 

about the IMMIGRATION 

issue, paid for it with his resignation 

(although he might 

have survived, he would’ve 

led Labour to oblivion under 

his leadership anyway) and 

guess what? NO ONE of 

consequence, not National’s 

leadership, Labour’s leadership, 

or any of the other 

fringe parties said ANY- 

THING about the IMMI- 

GRATION issue (I’m typing 

it in caps just so there’s no 

mistake) for the rest of the 

campaign. See how sensitive 

a topic it was? 

And yet, whomever forms 

a government this October 

(we have a hung parliament, 

or an election that produced 

a parliament without any 

single party holding a 

majority of the seats needed 

to govern), will have to deal 

squarely with the issue of 

immigration. It is more 

important than education 

and crime and perhaps 

equally as important as the 

economy, employment and 

the quality of life in New 

Zealand for the next 

decades. I’m no expert, but 

this in my humble opinion is 

the single most important 

issue the next government 

needs to tackle, particularly 

because: 

Immigration is a gamechanger 

for national life. 

Migrants fill jobs. Migrants 

are contributors to the trades 

and professions. Migrants 

are contributors to research, 

development and innovation 

across the cutting edge 

fields of science and technology. 

Migrants jump-start 

massive consumer spending. 

And migrants, via 

entrepreneurship and investment, 

further spur 

growth, repeating the cycle 

of business growth leading 

to more and better jobs, 

leading to increased spending. 

Rinse, repeat. 

The government knows 

this. Migration may not 

always be a good look if 

you want to keep the locals 

happy, but the alternative 

would be almost unthinkable. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re 

National, Labour, Greens or 

New Zealand First. Can you 

or I or anyone imagine a 

New Zealand without 

Chinese, Indian, Filipino, 

Pacific Islander and all 

other races of migrants. In 

an unguarded candid statement, 

then Immigration 

Minister Jonathan Coleman 

said it best: without immigration 

the outlook is bleak. 

And even then, regardless 

of any more immigration 

tweaks, you can’t put the 

toothpaste back in the tube. 

If we need any more idioms: 

locking the barn door after 

the horse is gone, aanhin pa 

ang damo kung patay na ang 

kabayo, hope you’ve had 

enough. The 'multiplier 

effect' of each migrant 

assimilating into New 

Zealand is staggering: 

spouse or partners and children 

of productive and 

income-generating migrants 

are not only expected but 

also anticipated by New 

Zealand, as the gravitational 

pull of love and family 

towards the lucky migrant is 

universal. 

Whomever forms the next 

government, they can’t pull 

the plug on new migrants 

based on relationships with 

migrants already in New 

Zealand. Even the mothballed 

parent and sibling 

migrant pathways won’t stop 

immediate family members 

following their successful 

relatives on their own merits 

(on other pathways). 

And how about current 

secial work visa pathways 

specific to 

Pinoys and 

other Asians 

(dairy workers, 

scaffolders, 

Christchurch 

rebuild)? 

The world is 

not going to 

come to a 

standstill 

when a new government 

rises in the Beehive (NZ’s 

version of the Batasan). The 

fact of the matter is that 

migrants will continue to be 

in demand in NZ, Australia 

and elsewhere. Is that so 

hard to accept? 

And lastly … 

Immigration is an issue 

that won’t go away. Let’s 

face it. All of the guest 

workers currently in NZ are 

potential permanent residents. 

They wouldn’t have 

taken the chance to work so 

far away, in uncertain circumstances, 

if they didn’t at 

least have the ghost of a 

chance of becoming future 

citizens here. 

Whether migrant entrants 

year-by-year are to be maintained, 

increased or decreased, 

it is reasonable to 

expect that migrants will figure 

prominently in the New 

Zealand economy, for good 

or for bad (but mostly good). 

It didn’t figure prominently 

during the campaign, 

probably because it was too 

hot to handle, but the migration/immigration 

issue, 

believe you me kabayan, 

will affect every single New 

Zealander in the next 50 

years. 

And probably long after 

that. 

Noel Bautista’s blogsite: 

https://ylbnoel.wordpress. 

com 

Immigration, Property, Sales & Purchase of a Business, Agreement to Lease, 

Trust and Asset Protection, Wills and Power of Attorney, 

Family Law and Relationship Property Matters, Litigation 

Eugenie Choi (Director) 

DDI 09 444 0505 / 021 262 7182 

eugenie@hemarulaw.co.nz 

Chang Min Lee 

PH 021 890 111 

min@hemarulaw.co.nz 

Jameson Uy, Filipino Marketing Officer, 

PH 02041154370, desk@hemarulaw.co.nz 

Soo Jin Kim 

PH: 021 416 128 

soojin@hemarulaw.co.nz 

Tel: (09) 443 2080, Fax: (09) 443 2090, 20 Link Drive, Wairau Valley, Auckland 0627 

Po Box 334119, Sunnynook, Auckland 0743


In the year to 

Migration and property prices 

under Labour, 

the end of July 

the Greens, and 

a record 72,400 

NZ First; the latter 

having the 

more people 

arrived to live 

most restrictive 

in New Zealand than left. h o u s i n g 

about New Zealanders’ policy, which would cut net 

That represents an annual demand and By Frank Newman 

attitudes to immigration. migration to 10,000 people a 

population increase of about building. This 

Opinion was divided year. Labour would reduce 

1.5%. Few would dispute was quantified 

along political lines. net migration by 20,000 to 

that this has had a significant 

impact on house prices in 

in research by 

MOTU, which 

Forty-three percent of 

National voters thought 

30,000 people a year. 

While external migration 

recent years. 

showed a 

that immigration makes numbers are significant for 

There are essentially four strong correlation 

New Zealand a better property prices generally 

groups of immigrants: international 

between 

place, as did 41 percent and Auckland in particular, 

students, those high immigration 

of Labour voters, 55 per- 

there is also significant 

arriving here to work, those 

and high 

cent of Green voters, but influence from internal 

arriving for family reunification 

house prices. 

only 19 percent of NZ migration - the movement of 

and kiwis returning They said that a 

First voters. The main people within New Zealand. 

from overseas. It's the latter one percent 

concerns were that our In general terms there is a 

that is having the most influence 

increase in pop- 

roading and housing long-term shift to the top 

on the numbers. ulation from 

infrastructure was not half of the North Island. 

Back in the year to May migration at the 

coping with the high Significant areas attracting 

2012 22,400 returned home, national level is 

numbers, with the greatest 

residents include North 

while 61,800 departed, leaving 

associated with a 12.6 per- 

and house prices seems on and in 2012 at the peak of 

concern being the latter. Auckland, particularly 

a net loss of 39,400. In cent increase in house the high side, it nevertheless the Aussie mining boom (see When measured along party around Albany and Orewa, 

the May 2016 year the net prices. 

points to the influence the graph). 

lines, 84 percent of NZ First West Auckland, Hamilton 

annual loss had reduced to When they drilled down net immigration number has Clearly net migration voters said that housing supply 

and the Bay of Plenty. All of 

3,500, as 30,700 New into the figures and looked at on house prices. This is turned around in 2012 and 

was not coping, as did 79 these areas have experienced 

Zealanders arrived home the effect different types of something that homeowners has gained pace ever since. percent of the Greens supporters, 

significant population 

and only 34,200 departed. immigration had, they found and investors in particular Most economic commentators 

75 percent of growth and property value 

Those numbers reflect the that the most significant need to be mindful of - it's a 

are expecting the New Labour and 59 percent of increases in recent years, 

fact that the grass is no effect was New Zealanders significant risk factor. Zealand economy to remain National supporters. which is expected to continue 

longer greener on the other returning from overseas to Should our economy slow strong relative to our main These concerns are 

over the next 10 years. 

side of the Tasman. Australia 

is not as attractive as it was, 

particularly since the lure of 

making big money in the 

mining sector has disappeared. 

live. This may be because 

they are likely to be more 

certain about where they 

want to settle and are returning 

with cash in their pockets. 

down or should overseas 

markets like Australia regain 

their appeal as a place to 

work, then the net inflow 

that is driving house and 

rental prices higher may well 

trading partners and few are 

picking a recovery for the 

Australian mining sector any 

time soon. 

More of the risk is at a 

social and political level. In 

reflected in the parties’ 

immigration policies. Immigration 

would stay at roughly 

its current level under 

ACT, the Maori Party and 

National. The numbers of 

Frank Newman writes a 

weekly article for Property 

Plus.https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.co.nz/2 

017/09/migration-and-property-prices.html#more 

Immigration flow is While MOTU's correlation 

turn into a net outflow as it June UMR Research pub- 

immigrants coming into Reproduced with permission. 

important because it affects 

between immigration did between 1998 and 2001 lished a revealing survey New Zealand would fall 

Sales Executive 

Philippine Airlines will launch the first Non-Stop air link between 

New Zealand and the Philippines commencing December 8th. 

Airline Marketing New Zealand, the General Sales Agent for PAL in New 

Zealand, is expanding their sales team and an opportunity will be available 

for a confident and experienced travel industry professional to promote 

Philippine Airlines to the New Zealand travel trade, corporate accounts 

and the Filipino community. 

Preferred requirements for the full-time position are: 

• A minimum of 3 years in an airline or related travel industry role 

in New Zealand or the Philippines 

• A knowledge of GDS/CRS reservations/ticketing system 

• An understanding of international airfares, pricing and ticketing 

• Highly developed customer service and communication skills 

• Ability to build strong business relationships 

• An outgoing and friendly personality 

• Highly self-motivated and excellent organisation skills 

• Proficient in all MS applications 

• Must speak fluent English 

• The successful applicant must be a Permanent Resident of New 

Zealand and hold a valid New Zealand Drivers Licence and have 

their own vehicle 

If you have these attributes and would like to join the Philippine Airlines 

Team in New Zealand please forward your current CV to: 

Admin@airlinemarketing.co.nz 

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 5PM FRIDAY 03 NOVEMBER 2017

ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News www.pinoynzlife.nz filipinoheroes.nz 07 BUHAY 

NZ 

Starting a New 

Business 

Free information sessions 

for newcomers at CAB 

Pakuranga/Eastern 

Manukau. 

This session will cover: 

• Income tax 

• Tax rates 

• Business structure 

• Business expenses 

• Employing staff 

Facilitated by Sudhir 

Sagar, Inland Revenue 

Department 

Date: Tuesday 14 November 


Time: 10am to 2.30 pm 

Venue: Howick Local 

Board Meeting Room, 

Pakuranga Library Building, 

7 Aylesbury Street, 

Pakuranga 

Light lunch provided. 

Please confirm your place 

by phoning or texting Vani 

Kapoor at 021 459520 or 

email at settlement.pakuranga@cab.org.nz 

Free info 

seminars 

for 

newcomers 

Immigration 

Matters 

Free information sessions 

for newcomers at CAB 

Nelson. 

The topics will cover: 

• Immigration issues for 

newcomers 

• Personal stories from 

migrants and newcomers 

Date:Wednesday,15 

November 2017 

Time: 5.30pm to 7.30pm 

Venue: Nelson Public 

Library Activities Room, 27 

Halifax Street, Nelson 

Refreshments provided. 

For more information call 

Hilary Clifton at CAB 

Nelson Tasman on 03 548 

2117 or email coordinator. 

nelsontasman@cab.org.nz 

or just come along. 

MIGRANT JOB BOARD 

Employment 

CAB Wellington Central 

will hold a free information 

session for newcomers on 

The topic will include: 

• Finding employment 

support 

• CV writing and support 

• Linking to employment 

opportunities 

• Plan to be job ready 

• Interview skills 

Presenters: 

• James Sauaga from 

Wellington Chamber of 

Commerce (wearing his 

Skilled Newcomers Programme 

hat) 

• Robert de Cartier- 

McCarthy from MClass 

Date: Tuesday 21 November 


Time: 5.45pm to 7.45pm 

Venue: 

Mezzanine floor meeting 

room, Central library, 65 

Victoria Street, Wellington 

Refreshments provided 

For more information call 

CAB Wellington Central 

office on (04) 472 2466 or 

email at wellingtoncentral@cab.org.nz 

Launching soon on the following websites: filipinonews.nz, pinoynzlife.nz 

migrantnews.nz, asia2nz.com 

How to get the right 

immigration advice 

New Zealand is a popular 

destination for Filipino 

migrants to visit, work, live 

or even study. In 2016 

Immigration New Zealand 

approved over 17,000 visitors 

visas, 14,300 work visas 

and 3,800 student visas from 

the Philippines. 

Registrar of the Immigration 

Advisers Authority 

(IAA) Catherine Albiston 

says that if you need help 

while completing your visa 

application it is important to 

get advice from the right 

person. 

“Filipinos looking to travel 

to or reside in New 

Zealand should be aware 

that if they need advice 

when applying for a visa 

they must use a New 

Zealand licensed immigration 

adviser or someone who 

is exempt,” says Ms 

Albiston 

“There is no requirement 

to use an immigration adviser, 

however, if a person 

needs help then only a 

licensed immigration adviser 

or exempt person, such as 

a current New Zealand 

lawyer, can assist. 

“That’s why the IAA 

offers a free register of 

licensed advisers and list of 

exempt persons on our website. 

“To make sure that you 

are protected use our 

'Looking for New Zealand 

Immigration Advice' 

checklist.” 

Ms Albiston is set to visit 

the Philippines to raise 

awareness of the IAA and its 

role in supporting migrants, 

so that they know where to 

turn when looking for New 

Zealand immigration advice. 

“The IAA was set up to 

protect the interests of people 

receiving New Zealand 

immigration advice, as there 

are unfortunately people 

who operate outside the 

law,” adds Ms Albiston. 

“Licensed advisers have 

specialist expertise and have 

met competency standards. 

They follow a code of conduct 

that requires them to be 

honest and respectful.” 

New Zealand’s Ambassador 

to the Philippines 

New Zealand’s Ambassador 

to the Philippines 

David Strachan 

David Strachan, who will 

host Ms Albiston during her 

trip to the Philippines, welcomed 

the timing of Ms 

Albiston’s visit with the 

launch of a non-stop four 

weekly flight service to 

Auckland from the 

Philippines. 

“From December this year 

Philippines Airlines will 

commence a four weekly 

service direct to Auckland 

that will facilitate tourism 

flow between the two countries,” 

says Mr Strachan. 

“It is timely to offer some 

advice to would-be travellers 

and residents of New 

Zealand.” 

For more information on 

the IAA go to www.iaa.govt. 

nz or contact info@iaa.govt. 

nz.

BUHAY 

NZ 


NZ's Filipino community 

through Wellington's lens 

A report published this 

week by the Asia New 

Zealand Foundation on the 

Filipino community in 

Wellington shows that they 

flip the usual narrative of 

overseas Filipino workers 

elsewhere in the world. 

Filipinos in traditional 

dress, one waving a 

Philippines flag. Unlike 

many of the Filipino diaspora 

living elsewhere in the 

world, Filipinos in New 

Zealand come to stay. 

It is estimated that more 

than 10 million Filipinos 

work or live outside the 

Philippines, many of whom 

are low-skilled workers on 

contracts who face unsafe 

working conditions without 

the possibility of gaining 

residency. 

Making a Community: 

'Filipinos in Wellington' 

author Dr Rebecca Townsend 

says, “The policy by 

which Filipinos are allowed 

to enter the country and 

work here means that they 

tend to arrive with specific 

and high skill sets and often 

with a job already arranged. 

They bring their families and 

raise their children here. 

Because of this, Wellington's 

Filipino community is more 

settled and stable than is typical 

in other countries." 

As cited in the 

report, Filipinos in 

New Zealand are 

more likely than 

either the general 

Asian population or 

the New Zealand 

population to have 

a bachelor’s degree 

or higher. 

In 2013 their incomes 

were roughly 

equivalent to 

European New Zealanders 

($30,600 

compared to $30, 

900), but higher 

than the general 

Asian ethnic population. 

The report says that 

Filipinos in New Zealand 

contribute to relieving significant 

and critical skill 

shortages in vital industries, 

including dairy, healthcare, 

construction, nursing, aged 

care, information technology 

and agriculture. 

“Over the last few years 

(from left:) Virgie Russell, Philippine Ambassador Jesus S. Domingo, Sylvia Zoonobi, 

Mayor Phil Goff and Anita Mansell QSM - at the Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards 2016 

organised by Filipino Migrant News. Photo credit: SmartShots NZ 

there has been a big demand 

for workers in the dairy 

industry and for the 

Christchurch rebuild and 

Filipinos took advantage of 

that,” Philippine Ambassador 

to New Zealand 

Jesus Gary Domingo says 

in the report. 

“We are happy to be helping 

(with the) rebuild and to 

further build up New 

Zealand society both literally 

and figuratively," he says. 

The report also reveals 

that the Filipino community 

in New Zealand is not as 

tight-knit as some other 

Asian ethnic groups, largely 

due to the great diversity of 

the many ethnicities 

and cultures 

of the 

archipelago. 

Although 

Filipino is the 

country’s 

national language, 

there are 

over 100 dialects, 

which 

means that Filipinos 

in New 

Zealand do not 

grow up speaking 

the same 

language. "They 

hail from vastly 

different 

regions, social 

backgrounds 

and cultures," 

Dr Townsend says. 

“It’s difficult to pin down 

a homogenous national culture 

of the Philippines, an 

archipelago of 7,641 islands. 

This geography historically 

has separated communities." 

This sentiment is reflected 

by one of the Filipinos interviewed 

for the report, Flora 

Muriel-Nogoy. “Our community 

is not united; it’s just 

the way we are,” she says. 

A man in traditional 

Philippines tribal costume 

dancing. The Philippines is a 

country of many diverse ethnicities 

and cultures. 

The Foundation’s director 

of research and engagement, 

Pip McLachlan, says that 

the report helps build an 

understanding of Filipino 

Kiwis – the third largest 

Asian ethnic group in New 

Zealand, representing 

around one percent of our 

population. 

“Part of the Foundation’s 

mission is to build New 

Zealanders’ knowledge and 

understanding of the peoples 

and cultures of Asia,” she 

says. 

“We know from our 

Perceptions of Asia research 

that knowledge of and experience 

with Asia and Asian 

peoples go hand in hand 

with more positive attitudes 

towards Asia." 

The Asia New Zealand 

Foundation is New Zealand’s 

leading authority on 

Asia. It is a non-partisan, 

non-profit organisation, set 

up in 1994 to build New 

Zealanders’ knowledge and 

understanding of Asia. 

Philippine Week 2018 

A celebration of Philippine Culture, 

Food, Travel, Products and Services 

Halo Halo NZ : ww.halohalo.nz is into its 10th year. 

As business, trade, cultural and direct air links between the Philippines 

and New Zealand is growing at a fast pace, this is an opportune time 

to revamp the original 2-day event into a week-long celebration. 

Authentic Filipino Food Festival (7 & 8 April). 

Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards. Filipino Music Awards. 

Two Cultural Pageants. Schools Programme. And lots more! 

We invite everyone to join with us to showcase the very best 

that Philippines has to offfer to New Zealanders. 

filipinonews@xtra.co.nz or text 027 495 8477. 

Media Partners: 

FILIPINO MIGRANT NEWS : www.filipinonews.nz 

Pinoy NZ Life : www.pinoynzlife.nz 

Migrant News : www.migrantnews.nz 

TRAVEL GALORE : www.travelgalore.nz


CHIKA 

MUNA 

MANILA - In the tradition 

of the Philippines’ most 

endearing family dramas on 

the silver screen, ABS-CBN 

Film Productions Inc. 

(Star Cinema) brings you 

this generation’s biggest 

drama flick, ‘Seven 

Sundays’, screening in key 

countries worldwide via 

TFC@theMovies and starting 

this October 21. 

From the makers of one of 

Philippine cinema’s iconic 

drama films ‘Tanging Yaman’ 

in 2000, comes the 

story of four estranged siblings 

thrown back together 

by their father’s dying wish 

– to spend their time together 

on his last ‘Seven 

Sundays’. 

Directed by Cathy Garcia- 

Molina (well-known for her 

romantic-comedy hits), 

‘Seven Sundays’ gathers 

some of the finest actors the 

Philippine entertainment 

industry has produced: criti- 

A powerhouse cast 

for family ‘dramedy’ 

Aga Muhlach, Dingdong Dantes, Enrique Gil, Cristine 

Reyes and Ronaldo Valdez play the members of the 

Bonifacio family. 

cally acclaimed Ronaldo 

Valdez, actor-director Dingdong 

Dantes, teen heartthrob 

Enrique Gil, multitalented 

actress Cristine 

Reyes and timeless heartthrob 

Aga Muhlach, to portray 

the lead roles. 

In the story, Valdez is 

Manuel, a man who learns of 

his impending demise, but 

sees it as a chance to bring 

his family back together. 

Muhlach is the eldest son 

Allan, who may not have 

succeeded in his career, but 

continues to be the family 

favourite in the eyes of his 

siblings. Dantes is Bryan, 

the most successful of the 

family who has resented the 

fact that despite his success 

he seems to get the least 

attention. Reyes is Cha, the 

only girl in the brood of four, 

who has not really been 

lucky in love and life. Gil is 

Dex, the youngest and most 

detached by virtue of his age 

and principles. 

As they are forced to be 

together for their father’s 

last few weeks the siblings 

are reminded of the very reasons 

they fell apart and both 

comedy and chaos ensue. 

Apart from the stellar 

ensemble, the movie also 

Seven Sundays 

marks the much-awaited 

comeback of Muhlach after 

his last romantic drama 'In 

The Name Of Love' with 

box office royalty Angel 

Locsin in 2011. 

The movie also marks the 

nth movie of Dantes, a Star 

Cinema regular who recently 

brought in a box office hit 

via ‘The Unmarried Wife’, 

together with prime ABS- 

CBN star Angelica Panganiban, 

in 2016. 

Gil, who is proving to be 

one of the younger actors to 

reckon with after his performance 

in ‘Dukot’, is also 

marking his reunion with 

Garcia-Molina after their 

highly successful ‘My Ex 

And Whys’, shown 

February of this year. 

‘Seven Sundays’ is also 

Reyes’ return to the silver 

screen after her unforgettable 

cameo in the super 

blockbuster hit ‘Girl, Boy, 

Bakla, Tomboy’, top-billed 

by phenomenal star Vice 

Ganda in 2013. 

Lastly, Valdez, a celebrated 

leading man back in his 

days, was last seen in the 

romance film ‘All You Need 

Is Pag-ibig’ in 2015, but is 

most known in recent years 

for his endearing performance 

in the film ‘The 

Mistress’ alongside Movie 

Queen Bea Alonzo in 2012. 

Garcia-Molina said: “Just 

like in love stories, this piece 

has a lot to it. There are 

many facets to it which we 

can guise differently. So 

with this family drama I was 

able to make it into a dramedy. 

I hope this one touches 

your life again.” 

Witness them all in ‘Seven 

Sundays’ and see if they can 

each make it to the last 

reunion. Apart from being a 

cinematic masterpiece 

‘Seven Sundays’ will remind 

viewers that not all families 

are perfect and that every 

member has their own individuality. 

However, with 

respect for people's differences 

and recognition of the 

fact that we all have our own 

time, the family has a chance 

of being one again. 

Seven Sundays also stars 

Donita Rose, Kean Cipriano, 

Ketchup Eusebio, April 

Matienzo, Jeffrey Tam, Kyle 

Echarri, Kin Billote, Angelica 

and Angelee Cruz, 

Gabriel Iribagon and 

Alyanna Angeles. 

The movie will screen 

from November 2 in New 

Zealand. 

More film reviews will be 

featured on our websites: 

www.filipinonews.nz and 

www.pinoynzlife.nz

ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News www.pinoynzlife.nz filipinoheroes.nz 11 

BUHAY 

NZ 

8 YEAR OLD 

OPERA PRODIGY 

Jazz Vidamo is winning hearts in 

Matamata and beyond. 

By Mel Fernandez 

JAZZ is recording an 

album featuring covers of 

opera songs – ‘Puccini's 

Nessun Dorma’, ‘O Mio 

Babbino caro’, 

‘Pie Jesu’ by Andrew 

Lloyd Webber and 

‘Pokarekare Ana’ 

as performed 

by Hayley 

Westenra. 

MATAMATA, Waikato - 

This rural township is 

world famous for being the 

cradle of Hobbiton. And 

now it has more exciting 

news to share with all and 

sundry - the fact that 

Matamata’s got talent. 

Folks in this sleepy hollow 

are delighted to have 

discovered a young opera 

prodigy in their midst. A 

gem of a girl who is being 

nurtured and treasured by 

the locals - because one day 

she could realise her dream 

of becoming a famous 

opera singer in New 

Zealand and beyond. 

Her rise to fame began 

when Jazz Vidamo, 8, 

caught the eye of a 

reporter at The Matamata 

Chronicle, when she 

placed first in vocals and 

was the overall winner for 

her age group with 

Puccini's ‘O Mio Babbino’ 

at the Waipa Christian 

Music Festival. 

For a while Jazz had preferred 

pop. In fact, she 

took second place in a previous 

Waipa Christian 

Music Festival singing 

‘Yesterday's Dream’ and 

‘In Moments like These’. 

"I like music because 

there are different genres 

and you can choose what 

type of song you like," Jazz 

told The Chronicle. 

The paper noted that: 

“She has only been training 

as an opera singer for a 

few months, under the 

guidance of her mother 

(Leigh), an instrument and 

vocals tutor. 

“Music is in the family's 

blood. 

“Jazz shares her passion 

for opera with Leigh and 

her grandmother Liyet, 

both former opera singers. 

“It is under her parents 

and grandmother's tutoring 

that her voice is being 

nurtured.” 

Jazz’s mum Leigh 

(from left:) Leigh Vidamo, Jazz and her sister Blues with PJ (Dad). 

Vidamo told FMN that her 

daughter has been singing 

since she was two. She got 

interested in opera when 

she heard an opera singer 

on ‘America’s Got Talent'. 

Ever since she has been 

focusing on opera singing. 

FMN: Who are Jazz’s 

favourite opera singers? 

LEIGH: Jackie Evancho 

and Charlotte Church. 

FMN: Her favourite 

opera songs? 

LEIGH: She likes all of 

them, but her favourite is 

‘Pie Jesu’. 

FMN: Does she understand 

the lyrics in Italian 

and Latin songs? 

LEIGH: What I do is 

make sure that she has an 

idea of what she is singing 

so she can connect with it. 

FMN: Is she finding it 

easy to sing in foreign languages? 

LEIGH: The first song 

that she did was in Italian 

and now we are doing 

Latin songs and a Maori 

song called ‘Pokarekare 

Ana’. Next we will be 

doing a Filipino opera 

song. 

FMN: Is the vocal training 

for singing opera very 

rigorous? 

LEIGH: Usually in 

the Philippines with 

my vocal students I 

train them for one 

hour. But here in New 

Zealand I found that 

we only need 20-30 

minutes. That’s how 

short it is. Although she 

is my daughter she 

doesn’t get any special 

treatment. 

FMN: How is Jazz coping 

with the intensive routine? 

LEIGH: She is enjoying 

the practice sessions. The 

thing with opera singing is 

that she has to practice 

every day for an hour so 

that I can adjust the range 

of her voice. Let’s say that 

this week she can do a ‘G’ 

note, then hopefully next 

week an ‘A’. We really 

want to practice reaching 

the high notes so 

that she will be 

comfortable 

with it. 

FMN: I 

hear that 

Jazz is recording 

an 

album? 

LEIGH: 

She is recording 

an 

album 

featuring 

covers of 

opera 

songs – 

‘Puccini's 

Nessun 

Dorma’, 

‘O Mio 

Babbino 

caro’, ‘Pie 

Jesu’ by 

Andrew 

L l o y d 

Webber 

and ‘Pokarekare 

Ana’ as performed 

by 

Hayley 

Westenra. 

F M N : 

What’s next 

for Jazz? 

LEIGH: We are 

thinking of introducing 

her to musicals. She has 

already joined a talent 

agency in Hamilton called 

Stellar Talent and Model 

Agency. Hopefully we will 

be able to see her in stage 

musicals that suit her 

voice. She could learn the 

‘Sound of Music’, ‘Annie’ 

… and so on. 

FMN: Does Jazz have 

other interests besides 

singing? 

LEIGH: She is learning 

a bit of piano and ukulele 

and does some photography. 

But opera is her passion. 

Editor – Readers may get 

a chance to hear Jazz 

Vidamo sing at the Filipino- 

Kiwi Music Awards to be 

held during Auckland’s 

Philippine Week Festival in 

April 2018 (www.halohalo. 

nz). 

For more details about the 

Philippine Week Festival 

please send us an email at: 

filipinonews@xtra.co.nz

BUHAY 


NZ 

Allure of pageants on the rise again 

Photo Credit: Virgilio Santos, 

Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards - Photographer of the Year 2017 

Even the Maginoo at Binibining Cultural Pageant has relaxed the age criteria. This year a 

mum and her 16 year-old son took part in the show alongside a few other middle aged mums. 

Maginoo at Binibining Cultural Pageant Finalists: (from left) Zel Garcia, Rohaibie Rennie 

(Binibining 2017), Luke Fowlie (Maginoo 2017), Marrysael Cal and Jenny Sotto. 

AUCKLAND - The allure of beauty 

pageants is on the rise again. The number 

of beauty pageants - for both young 

and old - that have spawned in New 

Zealand and overseas recently is mindboggling. 

Pageants that are growing in popularity 

over here include Miss Russia NZ, 

Miss National NZ, Mrs India New 

Zealand, Mrs Elite New Zealand, Miss 

Plus Size NZ … 

What’s more, competitive event 

organisers are even cloning existing pageant 

titles. For example, we found two 

Mrs New Zealand pageants listed on 

Facebook. 

Last year FMN featured the sole 

Filipina contestant in the ‘original’ Mrs 

New Zealand Pageant - Shirley Maiquez 

Bath, 38, from Hamilton. She won the 

‘Mrs People’s Choice Ambassador 2016’ 

award. 

This year 12 contestants have joined 

this contest, including two Filipinas - 

Howick resident Wella Rangel Bernardo 

and Anna Marie Boado Parrant from 

Henderson. 

It seems that age is no longer a barrier 

to following your dream of becoming a 

beauty queen. The Mrs New Zealand 

pageant, for example, is open to women 

aged between 21-56. “We also give 

opportunities to single mothers, 

engaged, separated and divorced women 

and widows to join our pageant,” says 

Anita Prasad, CEO of Mrs New 

Zealand. 

Even New Zealand’s biggest Filipino 

pageant - in terms of the number of contestants 

it attracts - Maginoo at 

Binibining Cultural Pageant, has 

relaxed the age criteria. This year a 

mum and her 16-year-old son took part 

in the show alongside a few other middle-aged 

mums (see photo above). 

The last word is from Shirley Bath: 

“For me age is just a number and there 

is so much more to beauty pageants. It’s 

about the whole experience and what 

you learn and become after the pageant.” 

Editor: The Maginoo at Binibining NZ 

Cultural Pageant is going strong and is 

into its 6th year. 

Next year the pageant will be held on 

April 6th during Halo Halo NZ - The 

Philippine Week celebrations in 

Auckland. 

(www.maginooatbinibini.nz)

ISSUE 107 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News www.pinoynzlife.nz filipinoheroes.nz 13 BUHAY 

NZ 

Openly pointing out somebody’s 

flaws is generally 

considered rude – so why do 

supposedly polite Filipinos 

do it? 

In a previous issue of 

Filipino Migrant News I 

observed that New 

Zealand’s appreciation of 

beauty, compared to the 

Philippines, was a kind of 

liberation for Filipinas living 

here. We heard from several 

women who felt far more 

comfortable in their own 

skins in NZ than in their 

home country. 

Much of the problem 

came from the blunt criticisms 

they faced back home: 

told they’re too fat, too 

brown, too balbon, are 

pango, have dark kilikili or 

other skin blemishes; nothing 

is off-limits to a sharpeyed 

friend or relative. Even 

framed in the typically 

Filipino context of humour, 

the all-too-common 'joke 

lang', most see it, by Western 

standards, as nothing less 

than body-shaming: inappropriate 

and rude. 

So where does such a trait 

come from? And why? 

Filipinos are known for their 

sensitivity – for not wanting 

to stir up trouble or upset 

others. Tact is a cultural trait. 

So why this willingness to 

point 

Culture Clash 

Story & Photo: REW SHEARER 

Openly pointing out 

somebody’s flaws is 

generally considered 

rude – so why do 

supposedly polite 

Filipinos do it? 

Much of the problem 

comes from the blunt 

criticisms Filipinas faced 

back home: told they’re 

too fat, too brown, too 

balbon, are pango, have 

dark kilikili or other skin 

blemishes; nothing is 

off-limits to a sharpeyed 

friend or relative. 

Editor: We welcome your 

feedback on this topic. 

lessness to be the epitomes 

of beauty and relatives, 

friends or even colleagues 

will be quick to make less 

than subtle criticisms of 

those who don’t meet those 

standards. And it seems that 

in all cases such comments 

are received with an equal 

measure of annoyance. 

Mia agrees, recalling blunt 

comments about her 

physique from a non- 

Filipino colleague that had 

none of the smiles or ‘just 

kidding’ softeners. 

If such remarks are indeed 

a deeply engrained and universal 

trait of Asian culture – 

and even other cultures 

around the world – how 

would the Filipino, normally 

so considerate and diplomatic, 

deliver them? 

Probably exactly as they 

do. With a smile, a laugh, a 

tongue-in-cheek reluctance 

or a retractive “just kidding”. 

At the point of tension 

between a deeply-ingrained 

Asian tendency and their 

own sense of empathy, the 

Filipino uses characteristic 

smiles and humour, chagrin 

and delicacy as much as possible. 

Preferable, perhaps, to 

keep their mouths shut. But 

maybe, softened by that 

characteristic Pinoy shyness, 

it’s not 

o u t 

people’s so-called flaws? 

I talked to a number of 

Filipinos about this. 

Everybody agreed that it 

was universal, although 

some attributed it more to 

older generations or to less 

sophisticated, less urbane 

individuals. 

One woman I talked to, 

Mia, 26, considered such 

bluntness to come from 

popular culture: the lowbrow 

humour of daytime 

TV, where ridicule and 

mockery for the masses’ 

amusement is a staple of big 

name hosts. Perhaps such 

humour has a trickle-down 

effect into common culture 

and behaviour? 

Another, Josephine, 40, 

gave it a more sinister spin, 

the o infamous Filipino 

‘crab mentality'. This malevolent 

facet of Filipino nature 

is a willingness to exploit 

others or put them down, 

particularly compatriots, for 

personal gain. It is the 

antithesis of the kababayan 

culture, where Filipinos traditionally 

work together for 

the benefit of all and it can 

be a truly cruel trait. Viewed 

from this perspective, personal 

comments are a way of 

cutting a person down to 

size and undermining their 

self confidence; motivated 

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Cultural Show 

7 April 2018, Auckland 

www.maginooatbinibini.nz 

To enter please email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz 

perhaps by jealousy or a 

social mindset not unlike 

New Zealand’s ‘tall poppy 

syndrome'. 

But maybe not. 

It’s worth understanding 

that the habit of making 

blunt personal observations 

is not limited to Filipinos. It 

is, apparently without exception, 

an Asia-wide phenomenon. 

Japan, notoriously 

Korea, China, Indonesia, 

Malaysia, Thailand; all share 

this tendency. To varying 

degrees, all regard slenderness 

and fairness and flaw- 

such 

an affront after all. Maybe 

it’s just a sign of changing 

times, a culture in the 

process of evolving, a clash 

of old and new. 

Then again, some traditions 

are best left behind. 


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BUHAY 

NZ 


Open homes during an emergency 

Auckland Council and 

Airbnb are encouraging 

Aucklanders to work together 

in the event of an emergency 

and to look after others 

in need. 

The call comes on the first 

anniversary of an 

agreement between 

Auckland Council 

and Airbnb which 

enables Airbnb hosts 

to open their homes 

free of charge. 

Airbnb's Disaster 

Response Program 

connects local residents 

who have been 

displaced - as well 

as emergency relief 

workers and volunteers who 

are coming in to assist - with 

local Airbnb hosts, who 

open their homes free of 

charge. 

“One of Auckland’s 

strengths is its fantastic, caring 

people. This partnership 

is a prime example of how 

communities can prepare to 

help look after each other 

and lend a helping hand to 

those in need during an 

emergency,” says Councillor 

Sharon Stewart, Chair 

of Auckland’s Civil Defence 

Committee. 

Auckland Emergency 

Management activated 

Airbnb’s Disaster Response 

Tool in March this year, providing 

more than 19,000 

hosts with information about 

the shortage of treated water 

in Auckland following a 

Auckland Airbnb hosts are to offer their 

homes free of charge 

series of storm events. 

“I am pleased to say that 

Auckland continues to lead 

New Zealand with this first 

of its kind partnership with 

Airbnb. It gives Auckland an 

innovative, agile and scalable 

capability to better 

respond to large-scale natural 

disasters,” says John 

Dragicevich, Director of 

Auckland Emergency Management. 

“Time after time, following 

various disasters in New 

Zealand and around the 

world, I have seen the 

Airbnb community come 

together and help those in 

need by opening their 

homes,” says Head of 

Global Disaster Relief and 

Recovery Kellie Bentz. 

“Here in New Zealand we 

want to continue to give 

Airbnb hosts 

the information 

they need 

to ensure that 

they are well 

prepared in 

case of emergency 

and to 

encourage 

them to consider 

opening 

their homes if 

the event arises 

where temporary accommodation 

is needed to host 

displaced survivors or relief 

workers,” she says. 

There are currently 

29,000 Airbnb listings in 

New Zealand, including 

9,000 listings in Auckland. 

Auckland is susceptible to 

a wide variety of hazards, 

from rare events such as volcanic 

eruptions, tornadoes, 

tsunamis and earthquakes to 

more frequent events such 

as flooding, electricity outrages 

and fires. 

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Escape to a quiet villa at 

Casa Alegria-Bohol 

Bohol, Philippines 

P: 09 837 4944 

E: jesjor@outlook.co.nz 

Book your group now at Casa Alegria-Bohol, and enjoy the 

serenity around our holiday home. Get discounts up to 35% 

(conditions apply). This is truly your home away from home. 

We will do everything to make you feel at home. 

The 

BEST 

Place to 

RELAX 

ACCOUNTING SERVICES 

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Very affordable! 

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View from the cottage 

GEM Accounting 

Annual accounts, income tax, GST, PAYE, payroll, 

Xero set-up and etc. 

Call Grace at 021 0258 3270 

e: mumford.grace@gmail.com www.gemaccounting.co.nz 

Legacy of Faith Church 

"Love God. Love People. Pass it on." 

Sunday Worship Time 

and Venue: 

1st Floor, 7 Princes Street, 

Otahuhu, Auckland 

10 am 

web: www.lfc.org.nz 

e-mail: lfcnz.info@gmail.com 

BUSINESS FRANCHISE 

Crewcare Commercial 

Cleaning 

p: 0800 800 209 

e: info@crewcare.co.nz 

CAR REPAIRS, Mechanics 

Jo’s Garage 

contact: Jojo Segui 

Unit C, 145A Target Rd., Glenfield 

p: (09) 442 5834 m: 0274372913 

e: jogarage@xtra.co.nz 

Auckland Auto Clinic 

291 Church St., Onehunga 

p: (09) 622 1265 

e: service@autoclinic.co.nz 

SEEKING A PARTNER 

Naghahanap ng mabait na binibini 

na aking makakasama 

sa habang-buhay 

Genuinely seeking attractive and kind 

Asian woman 40-50 y.o. for 

permanent relationship. 

Must speak English and lives in Auckland. 

I’m European, NZ-born businessman, 

60 y.o. I have my own home, financially 

independent and very well presented. 

Love to hear from you. You might be the one 

I’m looking for all this time. 

Txt or phone: 021 495 340 

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BALIKBAYAN Box Forwarder 

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South Suburban Motor Bodies 

53 Plunket Ave., Puhinui, Manukau 

p: (09) 278 7623 

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HOME LOANS / INSURANCE 

Peak Financial Services Ltd. 

contact: Bobby Chua 

m: 021 239 5335 

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MONEY TRANSFER 

Orbit Remit 

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IMPORTER / DISTRIBUTOR 

Tres Marias 

Importer and distributor of Filipino 

goods and services within New Zealand 

p: (09) 570 8981 / (09) 274 7595 

e: info@tresmarias.co.nz 

CHURCH SERVICES - Filipino 

AUCKLAND: 

Good Shepherd Parish 

27 Telford Ave., Balmoral, 

Auckland 

Every Sunday @11:30am 

St Mary’s Parish 

(Papakura) 

1st Sunday of the month 

@12:30pm 

Our Lady Star of the 

Sea Parish 

24 Picton St., Howick 

2nd Sunday of the month 

@12:30pm 

Holy Cross Parish 

(Papatoetoe) 

3rd Sunday of the month 

@2:30pm 

St Patrick Parish 

(Panmure) 

3rd Sunday of the month 

@4pm 

SARI-SARI STORE 

St Joseph Parish 

10 Dominion St., 

Takapuna, 

North Shore 

4th Sunday of the month 

@4pm 

WELLINGTON: 

Sts Peter & Paul 

Church 

60 Knights Rd., Lower 

Hutt 

1st Sunday @12pm 

St Anne’s Catholic 

Church 

22 Emmett St., Newtown 

Sunday masses @9:30am, 

@5pm 

Sacred Heart Cathedral 

40 Hill St., Thorndon, 

Wellington 

Sunday masses @10:30am, 

@7pm 

Tofu Shop 

Asian Groceries - Imported & Local • Open 7 days 

Albany - Unit D, 50 Greville Rd. 

Northcote - 16 Pearn Cres. Newmarket - 7-11 Kent St. 

Henderson - Unit D, Pioneer St. 

Pakuranga - 290 Ti Rakau Drive 

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We started publishing 

Migrant News 

www.migrantnews.nz 

in 1991 - one of the 

first ethnic newspapers 

to appear in New 

Zealand. 

Today the paper is 

published monthly as a 

free online resource for 

new immigrants. 

We are planning to 

increase our coverage 

of news from all parts 

of New Zealand. 

If you have some 

writing experience we 

are looking for freelance 

contributors to be 

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Our newspapers include: 

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paper) and Migrant 

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Please contact us by 

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RIGHT FOR US? 

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Filipino News was established in 2000 and we are 

celebrating our 17th year of publication. 

Today the paper is published monthly as a free online 

and offline resource for Filipino migrants. 

We are in the process of increasing our coverage of 

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