PINOY NZ LIFE
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Vol 8 No 127 MABUHAY!
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Eleksyon 2019
pg 2
F ly i n g t h e flag high Jose Rizal
On June 12, 1898, Filipino revolutionary
forces, led by General Emilio Aguinaldo, publicly read the Act of the Declaration of Independence in Kawit, Cavite, t h a t p r o c l a i m e d t h e s o ve r e i g n t y a n d i n d e p e n dence of the Philippines from the colonial rule of Spain following Spain’s defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay during the
Spanish-American War. The first Independence Day event included the unveiling of the National Flag of the Philippines and a performance of 'Lupang Hinirang', the national anthem. How will your family celebrate the 121st Philippine Independence Day?
GIVE ME A CALL “Awesome to be part of the 105 Police Non-Emergency Number launch,” says popular Filipino-Kiwi actor Leand Macadaan in his Facebook page. He has starred in a string of pg 12 great TV commercials.
Aside from the various issues that cropped up as the votes were counted, a more shocking moment also unfolded - the people have elected young, passionate, and idealistic leaders. W i t h t h e s e a t t r i butes combined with a fresh face and promise of change, these new local chief executives b r o u g h t d o w n i n c u mbents with big names w h o r u l e d f o r g e n e r ations.
First Filipino MP In 2017, for the very first time, two Filipino candidates battled for seats in Parliament - Labour’s Romy Udanga was the candidate for the North Shore seat and National’s Paulo Garcia stood in New Lynn. N e i t h e r w e r e s u cc e s s f u l i n t h e i r e l e ctorates but in May this year, Garcia managed to enter Parliament as a List MP when one of his National colleagues retired.
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Comedian James Roque unpacks his colonial past and in the process, he realises that the first step to decolonising his mind is to accept who he really is and what he wants to be - brown skin and all.
‘BOY MESTIZO’
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From pinching their baby’s nose to try to make it pointier like a white nose to using skin whitening products to try and make their skin whiter, James tackles all these in his new show - ‘Boy Mestizo’.
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121st Philippine Independence Day
Flying the flag high - at home and abroad
On June 12, 1898, Filipino revolutionary forces led by General Emilio Aguinaldo publicly read the Act of the Declaration of Independence in Kawit, Cavite, that proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippines from the colonial rule of Spain following Spain’s defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. The first Independence Day event included the unveiling of the National Flag of the Philippines and a performance of 'Lupang Hinirang', the national anthem. FAST FORWARD: In New Zealand we hold our commemorative events days before or even a month after the actual Independence date. How will your family celebrate the 121st Philippine Independence Day? You may have been invited to participate in one of the ‘traditional ceremonies’ - the flaghoisting ceremony at the
FLASHBACK: Photos taken at previous Philippine Independence Day ceremonies (from top left, clockwise:) Joze Rizal; President Duterte at a flag raising ceremony; Jesus Domingo, the Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand, at the Rizal Reserve in Auckland; a commemoration ceremony at the Philippine Embassy in Wellington.
12th June 2019 Philippine Embassy in Wellington or the Wreath Laying at Rizal Reserve, Corregidor Place in Avondale, Auckland or one of many other celebrations nationwide. The Southland Multicultural Council is organising ‘Pagkakaisa 2019’ on 15th June at the SIT Hansen Hall from 6pm. The event is a celebration of Filipino culture through food, music, talent and fellowship. In Auckland C A P O is organising ‘Awitan at Sayawan sa araw ng Kalayaan’ (Search for Gintong Tinig 2019) on 15th June at 7pm at the Te Atatu Peninsula Community Centre. The Waikato Filipino Association is holding their annual AGM together with their Philippine Independence Day Celebration (Musika, sayaw, kainan atbp) on 22 June 2019 at the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion from 1pm-5pm. And finally in Christchurch their Philippine Independence Day Celebration will be held at the Central Library: Tautoru/TSB Space, Hapori/Community in Turanga from 11am – 3:30pm. Mabuhay Malayang Pilipinas!
Over a 100 Filipino-Kiwi heroes honoured to date
This year the Filipino Migrant News/ Pinoy NZ Life HERO AWARDS focuses on the unsung heroes who have been championing Pinoy workers rights. Whistleblowers. Journalists. Unionists. Migrant Advocacy Groups. And others ... We welcome your input. email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz mobile : 027 495 8477
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Proper display of
Philippine Flag By WENNA BERONDO
CHRISTCHURCH – Kabayan News’ (now renamed Pinoy NZ Life www.pinoynzlife.nz and published by FMN) attention was drawn after it was observed that a number of Filipinos in New Zealand are not properly displaying the Philippine flag, particularly in their cars. While it looks patriotic, the glaring mistake could not simply be ignored. After all, this publication exists not just to inform but to educate its readers as well. They say that the easiest way to know a country better is by looking at the meaning of its flag. And we can better explain to others the meaning of our national flag when we know and understand its history, including its proper use and display.
VERTICAL The Philippine flag was officially adopted on 19 May 1898. The white triangle is symbolic of peace, red symbolises bravery and blue represents patriotism. The three yellow stars stand for the primary island groups in the country (Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon) and the sun stands for free-
dom, unity and autonomy. The sun has eight rays, each stands for one of the initial eight provinces that initiated the Philippine Revolution in 1896 (Manila, B u l a c a n , Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Batangas, Tarlac and Pampanga). The red stripe stands for courage and patriotism and the blue stripe stands for justice, peace and truth. On 28 May 1898, the Philippine Flag was first unfurled after the Philippine Revolutionary Army defeated Spanish forces in the Battle of Alapan, Imus, Cavite. It was sewn in Hong Kong by Filipino expatriates and brought to the
H O R I Z O N TA L country by General Emilio Aguinaldo. Half a month later, on 12 June 1898, following the proclamation of independence from Spain, the same flag was waved at Aguinaldo’s residence in Kawit, Cavite. Throughout the Filipino Revolutionary War, until the capture of Aguinaldo that precipitated the end of the Philippine-American War, the flag of the same design was flown with the red field on top to denote
a state of war. On 24 May 1994, President Fidel V. Ramos signed Executive Order 179, s. 1994, which ordered the display of the national flag in all buildings, establishments and homes from 28 May to 12 June 1994 and on 12 February 1998, the President approved the Republic Act No 8491, prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-ofArms and other heraldic items and devices of the Philippines. RA 8491 provides the basic rules and guidelines on the proper way of displaying and hoisting the Philippine Flag. These are some of them: the Flag, if flown from a flagpole, shall have its blue field on top in time of peace and itsred field on top in time of war; if in a hanging position, the blue field shall be to the right (left of the
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121st Philippine Independence Day observer) in time of peace and the red field to the right (left of the observer) in time of war; if on a stage or platform or government office, the flag shall be at the left (facing the stage) or the left of the office upon entering; When the Philippine flag is flown or displayed with another flag: the flags, if both are national flags, must be flown on separate staffs of the same height and shall be of equal size; the Philippine flag shall be hoisted first and lowered last; if the other flag is not a national flag, it may be flown in the same halyard as the Philippine flag, but below the latter and it cannot be of greater size than the Philippine flag; the Philippine flag shall be on the right of the other flag;
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121st Philippine Independence Day
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if there is a line of other flags, the Philippine flag shall be in the middle of the line; when carried in a parade with flags which are not national flags, the Philippine flag shall be in front of the centre of the line; the flag shall not be raised when the weather is inclement, if already raised, the flag shall not
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IBONG PIPIT By Celso Roger Baldo
be lowered; the flag shall never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, flood water or other objects; the flag shall be hoisted to the top briskly and shall be lowered ceremoniously; after being lowered the flag shall be handled and folded solemnly as part of the ceremony; the flag shall be raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset; a flag worn out through wear and tear shall not be thrown away. It shall be solemnly burned to avoid misuse or
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desecration. The flag shall be replaced immediately when it begins to show signs of wear and tear; It shall be prohibited: to mutilate, deface, trample on or cast contempt upon or commit any act or omission casting dishonour or ridicule upon the flag; to dip the flag to any person or object by way of compliment or salute; to use the flag; 1. As a drapery, festoon or tablecloth; 2. As covering for ceilings, walls, statues or other objects; 3. As a pennant in the
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hood, side, back and top of motor vehicles; 4. As a staff or whip; 5. For unveiling monuments or statues; and 6. As trademarks, or for industrial, commercial or agricultural labels or designs. Editor: This article first appeared in Kabayan News - the South Island’s local Filipino newspaper. Last year the ownership
of the publication transfered to SM Publications Ltd (the publisher’s of New Zealand only nationwide Filipino paper: Filipino
Migrant News). The newspaper has since been revamped and is now titled: Pinoy NZ Life www.pinoynzlife.nz
Magtatakip silim na muli Habang ako ay nakamasid Sa mga punong kahoy na nakapaligid Malayang na-aaninag at naririnig Nag-aawitang mga ibong pipit
Ako ay sumubok na sila ay malapitan Para lalo ko silang masilayan Sa ilalim ng puno mga dahon ay luntian Munting tinig nila ay mapakinggan Musika na parang alon sa dalampasigan
Noon may halimhiman pa akong nakikita At doon mga sisiw naghihintay kay ina Daladala'y pagkain na masustansiya Sa malayong lugar pa nila kinukuha Para sa mga inakay kanyang ipapasa
Kay gandang pakinggan Mga huni nilang nakakagaan Palipat lipat sa mga sanga't Para akong dinuduyan Minsan lang ito daraan
Samut-sari ang hugis at laki Ngunit hangang kailan ito mapapanatili Mga nanganganib ng mga uri Tao naway matauhan sa kanilang gawi Upang mga ibong ito ay hayaang dumami
Hayaan na lang sana, sila ay mabuhay Kasama ang tao upang lalo na matiwasay Malayang lumilipad-lipad sa kabundukan Aali-aligid sa kabahayan at sa kabukiran Upang awitin nila'y di maglaho ng tuluyan
## haring pukyutan ##
May 2019. Cambridge, NZ
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A Dapitanon soldier ’s diary:
121st Philippine Independence Day
The day we saw them flying DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte – Their hit and run tactics waged against the Japanese occupation forces had gone on for more than two years. The guerrilla unit in Dapitan – 'Bravo Company' of the 1st Battalion, 107th Infantry Regiment – composed mostly of Dapitanons under 1st Lieutenant Francisco 'Iko' S. Hamoy – were exhausted and at times hungry, but were still fighting and hoping against hope that someday the Philippines would be free from the invaders. It was just another Friday morning, September 15, 1944, and Lt. Hamoy wrote in his diary that all was well. There was no radio broadcast or news because of 'static' and 'bushier interference from the much stronger
communication station at a Japanese camp in nearby Sicayab, Dipolog City. At 10:30 that morning something unforgettable happened. Lt. Hamoy wrote in his diary: “… suddenly… airplanes (with engine sounds) much different
Despite the uncertainty of General McArthur’s return after escaping to Australia, the Bravo Company continued to fight Japanese forces in the Dapitan and Dipolog areas.
from (that of the Japanese planes that) we used to hear, were heard from the south. Two planes came at high altitude and close to each other, but later they gradually separated from each other. Both threw out white and milky rib-
bons of smoke forming the biggest letter V. (These were) the first American planes I saw after a period of two and a half years.” The fighters of Bravo Company were jubilant and for the first time since the Japanese invasion got a feeling of relief seeing the two fighter planes with stars on the fuselage, indicating that the aircraft were American. The civilians also felt the same, Lt. Hamoy said in his diary: “Everybody was rejoicing – shouting, clapping their hands … with their own eyes (they saw) American planes hovering overhead … it seems to show that liberation from the Japanese yoke is in sight … Governor (Matias Castillon) Ranillo (Sr.) celebrated it by buying all the tuba cigarettes and slaughtering a pig worth
P25 for the soldiers, officers and civilians … one of the planes returned and again released smoke forming the letter I after V which gave us the idea of victory.” “We give thee thanks oh Lord for the coming liberation of our land from the Japanese tyranny. “We also give thanks for sparing our lives and may we be given long lives to see again a peaceful Philippines,” Hamoy wrote in his diary. Lt. Hamoy was 2nd Lieutenant commanding the Philippine Constabulary Company in Tagbilaran, Bohol, when war in the Pacific broke out with the bombing of the United States 7th Fleet at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii on December 8 (7 in the United States), 1941. continued on page 6
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continued from page 5
A few hours later Japanese planes attacked Clark Airfield in the Philippines. In the face of the mighty Japanese Imperial Forces the defense of the Philippines slowly collapsed and on May 30, 1942, Bohol surrendered. But Lt. Hamoy did not.
He escaped alone towards Baliangao in Misamis Occidental on a small sailboat known as a 'binigiw'. He then walked his way through the jungle in Baliangao to his hometown in Dapitan. On September 19, 1942, Lt. Hamoy organized and commanded the Bravo Company, a guerrilla unit composed mostly of Dapitanons like Antonio A. Balladares, Vicente Recamara and Dodo Carreon. Despite the uncertainty
of General McArthur’s return after escaping to Australia, the Bravo Company continued to fight Japanese forces in the Dapitan and Dipolog areas. A month after those two planes appeared in the sky General McArthur fulfilled his promise and returned to the Philippines – bringing with him a large liberation force that landed in Leyte. About 76 years ago, the love for our country and
love of freedom were the driving forces strong enough to make Lt. Hamoy and his guerrilla fighters leave their families and put themselves in harm’s way to fight the Japanese – without a hint that they would achieve victory. It was their love of our country and of freedom that they felt in their hearts. They also saw the suffering of their struggling people and they vowed to bear witness to their liberation.
There are people who we look up for the money they have, the positions they hold or even just because of their good looks. We believe that those who have a lot of money, those who are popular or who are goodlooking are the most capable of loving our society. But ultimately the people we should look up to should be those who set aside their own safety and comfort for a love that was greater than them-
selves. And we will know them by the people they helped, the lives they saved and the hearts they touched. We cannot thank Dapitan’s guerrilla fighters enough. All we can do is to honour their sacrifices by imitating the love they had for their country and by living honourable lives. God bless the men of the Bravo Company. Courtesy of PNA – our content partner in Manila
'Balikatan 2019', a tribute to PH & US WW2 veterans By Priam Nepomuceno MANILA “The 'Balikatan' exercises are a fitting tribute to Filipino and American troops who sacrificed their lives during World War 2,” a ranking military official said. "This comes as a gesture to pay tribute to the heroism and indomitable courage of Filipino and American soldier-patriots as they fought side-by-side, shoulder-toshoulder, against seemingly insurmountable odds," Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Around 4,000 Filipino, 3, 500 American and 50 Australian troops participated in the annual military maneuvers, which formally started on April 1st. Acting as observers of the exercises are military personnel from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
"To date, the friendship and the fighting continue alongside one another in combating contemporary challenges of terrorism and in assisting one another with resilience to natural and
human induced disasters, among other events of significance covered in the exercise," Arevalo added. Earlier, AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., said that the 35th itera-
tion of the 'Balikatan' is a testament to the Philippines and US' enduring defence partnership. "Incidentally, the timing of this year's exercise coincides with our annual observance of the Philippine Veterans Week and Bataan Day, which we call the Day of Valour, and which falls on April 9. “Indeed, the memories of World War 2 have moulded the US-Philippine relationship; remember the Fall of Bataan and the Death March in 1942, the Battle
of Corregidor in the same year and the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944. “It was in these crucial moments with insurmountable odds when our soldiers, the forebears of our great nation, truly embodied, understood and experienced the real meaning of 'Balikatan' - carrying the load together on our shoulders, however heavy the load, however huge the obstacles and at whatever the cost," he added. (PNA)
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“In comedy, it’s so important to have a distinct voice and I was able to tap into that.” Comedian James Roque unpacks his colonial past and in the process, he realises that the first step to decolonising his mind is to accept who he really is and what he wants to be - brown skin and all. When he was a kid James did not really care about why he would always hear reminders from his parents to stay out of the sun. “I’ve got a lot of friends who are Filipino and our parents would tell us not to play outside because our skin would get dark.” “Growing up, I never really questioned that. But now as an adult I’ve realised how messed up that actually is. I reckon that comedy is the best way to destroy that way of thinking,” he says. Adjusting to a new life Coming from the
Boy Mestizo By RODA MASINAG
Filipino-Kiwi comedian James Roque introduces his new show Boy Mestizo - the next step in his journey to get back to his Filipino roots. Philippines, James describes how difficult it was adjusting to a new life in New Zealand. He acknowledges that there are culture clashes and having Filipino parents, he was raised with a certain set of values. It was tough at first, he says, but eventually they kind of reached a middle ground. “[My parents] accepted the fact that it is something that happens when you are migrating to another country. “Eventually you do
have to embrace and acclimatise in a way that acknowledges your heritage and embraces the new culture. “I will have fish and chips, but I’ll have it with rice,” he quips. ‘Why not doctor?’ Every parent wants the best for their children. And having Filipino parents, there is a certain expectation that they would want their children to become doctors or nurses. James admits that it was hard for him to tell
them that he wanted to be a comic because he realised the big sacrifices that his parents made. “When I told them I wanted to be a comedian, they said, ‘Why not doctor?’ (laughs). “That was a hard one that I found difficult to navigate, but eventually they came around,” he shares. James says that he is inspired by his parents and he would always share stories about them on stage. He shares one classic
example: “Like a very classic Filipino mum is that she’ll force you to eat too much. “If we have guests in the house she won’t just say hello, but she’ll ask them ‘Have you eaten?’ and she’ll check every hour if you’ve eaten. “That’s very classic,” he says. A minority in the industry James also admits that having brown skin is a bit of a double-edged sword for him. He explains that there is an expectation that when he hops on the stage in front of a white audience he will talk about his skin colour. “Just because you’re brown, that doesn’t mean that’s all you want to talk about. It’s hard because you are a minority in the industry.” “It can be a little bit discouraging at times, but you know, I just persevere. “I realised that I was representing a group of people and that was way more important than finding it difficult,” he shares. In terms of being brown in the industry, it also meant that he has a point
CHIKA MUNA o f difference. “In comedy, it’s so important to have a distinct voice and I was able to tap into that,” he says. After a successful run at last year’s Melbourne and New Zealand International Comedy Festivals, James performed a sequel to his journey to get back to his Filipino roots through his new show, ‘Boy Mestizo’. From pinching their baby’s nose to try to make it pointier like a white nose to using skin whitening products to try and make their skin whiter, James tackles all these in his new show. “The show is about finding pride as a Filipino in this modern world, post-colonialism. It’s a way of me getting in touch with my Filipino roots, establishing a new identity as a Filipino in this new world that we live in.” Boy Mestizo at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival runs from 14 – 18 May 2019. – Reprinted with permission from SBS Filipino
BUHAY NZ Photo below: The current line-up of Asian (and an Iranian-Kiwi) Members of Parliament. More details on page 9.
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A Pinoy in Parliament ENTER - NZ’S FIRST FILIPINO-KIWI MP By JESUS DOMINGO Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Paulo Garcia National MP
WELLINGTON - Atty. Paulo Garcia, a FilipinoKiwi, is set to become New Zealand’s first Filipino Member of Parliament (MP). He will take his oath of office on 21 May 2019. Atty. Garcia ran in the 2017 NZ Parliamentary elections, under the National Party (NP), in the New Lynn Constituency in Auckland. In NZ’s Mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation system, voters get two votes: one to decide the representative for their single-seat constituency and one for
a political party. The NZ Parliament, or 'Beehive', consists of a mix of constituency and party list MPs. The parties reflected, however, are mainstream parties such as the NP, not special interest/sector parties as in the Philippine party list system. MP candidates have both a designated constituency and a seniority on their party list.
Editor: More details about the Asian Members of Parliament continued on page 9
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Though Atty. Garcia did not succeed in his constituency election, he garnered an impressive vote for a first-timer, thanks in a large part to the campaign support of the Filipino Community in Auckland and throughout New Zealand. He had another chance, however, to enter Parliament under the NP’s party list. With the recent announcement of the resignation of NP MP Nuk Kurako, Garcia will assume the vacancy. Atty. Garcia was born in the Philippines, practised law and migrated to New Zealand with his family. He became a naturalised Kiwi and joined the NZ legal profession as a Barrister and Solicitor. He served as the Philippine Honorary Consul General in Auckland from to 2012 to 2017 and has actively supported Embassy and Filipino Community activities.
Atty. Garcia’s assumption as an MP is highly significant globally as he is the first Filipino to be elected to a national parliament in the Southern Hemisphere and will be an eloquent and effective voice for the Filipino Diaspora. It also reflects the growing clout of the Filipino Community in NZ and other migranthosting countries. He is only the third Philippine-born and full-blooded Filipino to have won a seat in an overseas national-level legislature, after Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, an MP in Canada and Ms. Jasmine Lee in South Korea. Ms. Thelma Trono Bell is our first elected Filipina-Kiwi. She is a District Councillor in Ashburton, South Island – and doing a fantastic job. The Philippine Embassy is, of course, politically neutral – but it strongly supports the empowerment of Fili-
pino Kiwis in the political, economic and cultural spheres. The Embassy encourages Filipinos in New Zealand to register for and to vote in both the NZ and Philippine elections and to join the political party the most reflective of their beliefs and convictions. The Embassy would also like to see more Filipinos elected to the Beehive, City/District Councils and other elective bodies. Atty. Garcia’s victory is a testament to the welcoming, inclusive and multicultural nature of New Zealand society. It should be noted that the other mainstream parties of NZ - Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens - also have strong Filipino representation. It is the opinion of the undersigned that Atty. Garcia’s assumption as an MP reinforces the view that NZ is one of the best – if not the best – destinations for Filipino Migrants.
The number of Asian MPs almost doubles By Mel Fernandez The changing face of the country’s population, coupled with the rapid growth of the Asian population that began in the 1990s, raises the following question: are migrants adequately represented in politics in New Zealand? After the 2011 Election the Asian and Indian communities were represented in Parliament by five List MPs - two from the Labour Party and three from National. Following the 2014 Election these communities were still represented by five MPs - Mahesh Bindra from NZ First and the National Party’s Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Dr Parmjeet Parmar, Dr Jian Yang and Melissa Lee. Sadly, in 2017 only six (seven if you include Marja Lubeck who has an Indonesian parent) 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 were as follows: Newcomer Priyanca Radhakrishnan - this is her first term in Parliament. Raymond Huo, who is into his 4th term. And another first timer - Marja Lubeck. 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 Parmjeet 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. In 2017, for the very first time, two Filipino candidates battled for seats in Parliament Labour’s Romy Udanga was the candidate for the
North Shore seat and National’s Paulo Garcia stood in New Lynn. Neither were successful in their electorates but in May this year, Garcia managed to enter Parliament as a List MP when one of his National colleagues retired. The most spectacular loss at the last election 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 current tally, if we were to include Ghahraman and Lubeck as representing Asian New Zealanders, is 9 MPs ensconced in Parliament. It will be interesting to see if the current trend continues and the number of Asian MPs increases to adequately represent their communities at the next general election which will be held before 21 November 2020.
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Mid-term polls usher in fresh faces, new era of politics 2019 polls voter turnout now at 75%-78% By Ferdinand Patinio MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is nearing its estimate of between 75 percent and 78 percent voter turnout in the recently-concluded national and local polls. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said that the partial number of voters who participated in the May 13 polls is already at 75 percent or more than 46 million registered voters. Meanwhile, preliminary data from the Office for Overseas Voting show that the voter turnout is 20.66 percent or more than 21,000 voters. In the mid-term polls, voters elected 12 senators, one party-list group, one governor, one vice governor, provincial board members, one mayor, one vice mayor, and councilors. (PNA)
By CHRISTINE CUDIS PNA Correspondent
MANILA - As the midterm elections nears its conclusion, results show that voters chose to try a new brand of leadership, not only in national posts but also in local governments as well. Aside from the various issues that cropped up as the votes were counted, a more shocking moment also unfolded - the people have elected young, passionate, and idealistic leaders. With these attributes combined with a fresh face and promise of change, these new local chief executives brought down incumbents with big names who ruled for generations. Vico Sotto (Pasig City) While he was born to TV host-comedian Vic Sotto and actress Coney Reyes, Vico seemed to have a different path to take on and is more than just an eye candy. His mayoralty bid seemed to be like bumping into a thick wall as he faced incumbent Robert Eusebio, whose family ruled the city for 27 years. The 29-year Pasig mayor-elect is a Political Science graduate from
From left to right: San Juan Mayor-elect Francis Zamora; Manila Mayor-elect Isko Moreno; and Pasig Mayor-elect Vico Sotto
Ateneo de Manila University. He was recognized best-performing councilor in 2016. The young politician banked on healthcare for Pasig residents, especially those from the eastern part of the city which he describes as the people who were left behind; localized freedom of information, and anticorruption. He also mentioned although the city cradles PHP10.7-billion budget, one of the country’s biggest, residents do not get to benefit. In 1992, Vicente “Enteng” Eusebio - the family’s patriarch - was elected as the city’s mayor. When his nineyear term ended in 2001, he was succeeded by his
wife, Soledad CruzEusebio. Vicente again ran in 2004 while Robert ran in 2007 and served as mayor until 2013. He ran again in 2016, replacing his wife Maribel, who served as mayor from 2013 to 2016. Isko Moreno (Manila) Manila mayor-elect Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, a former scavenger, vowed to restore the Philippine capital city to its old glory, describing it as “deteriorating” now because of dirty surroundings. The former actorturned-politician eyes to create physical development by building more green projects and more breathing spaces in the city.
Moreno, who also served as Manila councilor and vice mayor, also wanted the proposed social amelioration or poverty alleviation program and the 10year infrastructure program to be felt by Manileño's in the next 12
months. The 44-year-old actorturned-politician won against former president and reelectionist Joseph Estrada. Prior to his candidacy for Manila mayor, Moreno also served as Undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Francis Zamora (San Juan) After being a groomsman for a long time, this year's election finally saw 41-year-old Francis Zamora become the groom. Zamora, a former basketball player and businessman, defeated Janella Estrada, daughter of senatorial bet Jinggoy Estrada, in the
mayoralty race. After serving as vice mayor from 2010 to 2016, Zamora tried his luck for the city's top post but lost to Guia Gomez, mother of senatorial bet JV Ejercito. The victory of the longtime vice mayor put an end to the five-decade control of the EjercitoEstrada clan in the City of San Juan. The new mayor benchmarked his campaign on the promise of a new San Juan, offering its residents free WiFi in all public areas, high-rise incity housing, and affordable healthcare. He also spoke of transforming San Juan into a smart city that would compete once more with wealthy neighbors Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City. Francis is the son of Lone District of San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora. Estrada, meanwhile, anchored her campaign on the legacy of her family, which could be traced as far back as when her grandfather Joseph first won as mayor in 1969. The former president was succeeded by Jinggoy, her uncle JV, and Gomez. (PNA)
President Rodrigo R. Duterte casts his vote for the midterm elections at his voting precinct at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School in Davao City on May 13, 2019. (Robinson Niñal Jr./Presidential Photo)
TOP SENATOR. Senator Cynthia Villar chats with model and actor Illac Diaz during the annual New Life Family Walkathon at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City in May. Villar topped the list of 12 senators who won in the recent May 13 midterm elections. (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez) PROCLAMATION OF SENATORS. The National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) proclaims the 12 winning senators at the PICC Tent Forum in Pasay City on May 22, 2019. Leading the senators-elect with the highest number of votes are reelectionist Senators Cynthia Villar (in yellow dress) and Grace Poe-Llamanzares (in white dress) followed by former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (3rd place), come-backing senator Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano (4th), former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (5th), reelectionist Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (6th); comebacking senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid (7th); former Ilocos Norte governor Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos (8th); former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino (9th); reelectionist Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III (10th); former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. (11th); and reelectionist Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay (12th). (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)
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New legal protections in workplace for people affected by domestic violence From 1 April 2019, people who are affected by domestic violence have new legal protections in the workplace under the Domestic Violence – Victims’ Protection Act. Employees who are affected by domestic violence now have the right to: • take at least 10 days of paid domestic violence leave each year – this is separate from annual leave, sick leave and bereavement leave • ask for short-term flexible working arrangements – lasting up to 2 months • not be treated adversely in the workplace because they might have experienced domestic violence It does not matter when
the domestic violence took place. These rights do not apply to people who carry out domestic violence. In other words, people who are violent or abusive to someone they’re in a family or domestic relationship with. Domestic violence is also known as family violence and it’s not just physical violence. It can take many forms. Employment New Zealand has worked with partners across the government and with the Human Rights Commission and Shine to develop information to help employers apply the law changes. Following the law will also help employers
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improve how workplaces deal with family violence. Information about the new rights for employees affected by domestic violence is on the Employment New Zealand website. It is also being sent directly to employer representative groups and community advice groups, GPs and hospitals, as well as to family violence support services such as Shine and Women’s Refuge. A Family Violence Policy Builder (external link) provides support for employers to develop fitfor-purpose policies that support workplace responses to family violence. In addition to the Workplace Policy Builder and information about the Act, community organisations such as Women’s Refuge and Shine are providing training for workplaces on how to ensure safe and appropriate responses to employees affected by violence. - Text supplied.
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New digital platform for SuperGold Card The Wellbeing Budget includes three initiatives that will help seniors stay connected and improve their financial positions. The most significant is $7.7 million to upgrade and enhance the SuperGold Card, including building a new digital platform for card holders and businesses. “New Zealand’s over 65s really appreciate the SuperGold Card,” said Minister for Seniors Tracey Martin. “They particularly value the travel concessions and shopping discounts. “The reality is, however, that it’s been neglected for several years and it’s harder and harder for people to know where they can use it. This Government is doing something about that.” The Minister said that the SuperGold website, which hasn’t been updated for six years, would be upgraded and made easier to use. A new SuperGold app, linked to the website, would also be created to help show seniors where the card can be used when they are out. These will be launched before the end of 2019. Businesses – currently there are more than 9,300 businesses with around 14,000 outlets offering
SuperGold discounts – will also be able to interact with the website better and they will also be provided with standard promotions like posters so people can see where they can get discounts. “The opportunity that doing these things and revitalising the card creates, is to find more discounts,” the Minister said. “There will be one million over 65s within the next decade, which presents a very large consumer group. “I want to talk to – and hear from – businesses who want to access and help older New Zealanders.” The Minister said that a key goal of enhancing the card was to help seniors on fixed incomes to stretch their dollars further so that they could buy the services and products they needed. The Wellbeing Budget also contains new money for Digital Literacy Training for seniors and provides for ACC changes that better support working super-annuitants who are injured. The Minister said that our ageing population and increasing technology changes meant that some older people who no longer work are getting left behind.
Auckland landlord ordered to pay $180k
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I 27th Year of Publication
“Awesome to be part of the 105 Police Non-Emergency Number launch.”
POLICE LAUNCH NON-URGENT NUMBER
105
Article reprinted with permission from Radio New Zealand
If it's non-urgent, and non-life threatening, and the crims have been and gone, the police want you to call a new number: 105. More than 60 years after launching 111, the police it's a milestone that will make it easier for people to contact them. To help people remember the new digits, the police are spending about $2 million on an education campaign. "We are the first to admit, if it's not an emergency we are not an easy organisation to get a hold of," police commissioner Mike Bush said. Nearly one million calls went to the 111 number every year, but of those, less than half were actually urgent, and just a fifth were "priority one". In part, that was because people had not always known where to take non-urgent matters, such as when they came home to find their television had been stolen. Extra staff had been added as non-urgent demand was expected to rise now that people had a specific place to go any hour of the day, Mr Bush said. Last year's annual report showed only 79 percent of 111 calls were being answered within 10 seconds. Police Minister Stuart Nash said: "About 600,000 calls are going to 111 which could go elsewhere, so this is hopefully going to divert a significant chunk of those calls to 105 and free up the 111 system for true emergencies. But for now, there were no targets on how quickly calls to 105 should be answered. "We are aiming to pick them up as quickly as possible. We'll set some standards when we understand the volume," Mr Bush said. When it came to deciding which number to call - a simple check was needed, Mr Nash said. "If it's happening, 111. If it's happened, 105. It's not a bad rule to remember," he said. There's also website: www.105.police.govt. nz, where people can make reports for things like stolen bikes, petrol drive offs, or lost wallets or phones. Jennifer Feldwick triages calls as they come into the Kapiti call centre. "You get everything and everyone through that line," she said. The new line would help deal with those calls that were not urgent, she said, giving this example: "A lady, she was pretty frantic, she had ongoing civil disputes with her neighbours. They had popped soggy newspapers into her letterbox and she had decided that needed to be a triple one call," she said. Police are expecting it might take some time for the message to sink in, so don't worry if you get it wrong at first. "If you ring 105 and it is an emergency, that'll be triaged as well and you'll be sent straight into the emergency queue," Mr Bush said.
Leand Macadaan (pictured above) is a popular Filipino-Kiwi actor who has appeared in a string of successful TV commercials. At the moment he has a starring role in the 105 Police Non-Emergency Number campaign that is currently running in mainstream media outlets.
An Auckland landlord has been ordered to pay nearly $180,000 for deliberately not lodging tenancy bonds. The Tenancy Tribunal found Widhani Iskandar, also known as Debbie, failed to lodge bond money in 81 cases, adding up to $119,625. It was the largest group of applications investigated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The ministry said lodging tenants' bond money was
a fundamental responsibility for landlords. "Trust is a key component in the relationship between a landlord and a tenant, and for a landlord to breach that trust on a scale such as this is unacceptable," it said. The tribunal also ordered Ms Iskandar to pay about $47,600 for committing unlawful acts under the Residential Tenancies Act and about $10,500 for tribunal and application costs.
In 2016, the Salvation Army had said it believed up to 150 people who have been living in Ms Iskandar's properties faced homelessness. She was charging her tenants hundreds of dollars a week to and cram into single bedrooms. Back then, social agencies and some former tenants seemed to agree that she was running a scam and ripping vulnerable people off. – Radio New Zealand
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