PINOY NZ LIFE
REACHING FILIPINOS ACROSS NZ FOR OVER 18 YEARS! Published Fortnightly. Circulated Nationwide. Print. Web. Tablet. Mobile. FB. YouTube.
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Vol 8 No 128 TRABAHO
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Pinay. Marianne Infante is a proud Filipino who moved to Christchurch at age 11, before moving to Auckland in 2014. Marianne gained a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts degree graduating from Unitec in 2016 and has since multiplied her skills in the creative industry, producing, stage management, playwriting and teaching. Her theatre experiences include
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FLAG WEARER
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Today I am wearing a Filipina dress inspired by our Philippine flag. The white triangle symbolises peace the red symbolises bravery the blue represents patriotism ... Joenella Griarte
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Rumination, Aroha Mai and Meera. She is currently the producer of Fresh Off The Page, PAT’s monthly playreading event. M a r i a n n e ’ s o r i g inal script, PINAY was developed with PAT and will be New Zealand’s first Filipino play. Marianne invites everyone to come and see the play as it is an opportunity “to see you on stage. “ I t i s a n o p p o rtunity for you to h a v e t h e c o n v e rs a t i o n s o f o u r c u lt u r e a n d t r a d i-
LOOKING GOOD Good news for all the make-up junkies and Popsters out there. Popstar Royal-ty, Sarah Geronimo, has just released her own makeup line ....
tions and how we f i t i n t h e l a n dscape of Aotearoa with our Filipino pride, NZ pride and looking at the challenges and joys of what it is to be Filipino migrant in a new country.” DATES: August 13-24 TIME: 8:00 PM PRICE: $20 - $30 *plus booking fees“ Check out the FMN podcast at www.filipinonews. nz plus more details.
MARIAN’S BABY
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121st Philippine Independence Day
Why fly the flag high? MEL LIBRE, Solicitor and Barrister in New Zealand The Philippine Independence celebration is important to every Filipino – not just the ones in the Philippines. We believe that the
LANI M J LARSEN - poet, reporter and community leader. It is very important for us Filipinos living away from the Philippines to be able to come together to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day –
Independence Day is a reason for gathering together among Filipinos. That’s important because we value family and family stays together. Secondly it's a way of demonstrating our culture among our children who have grown up overseas and may no the most important event in Philippine history. That’s the only time we feel that we are connected to the country and by the same token we are bonding together with other Filipinos and can be proud of our culture. And so that’s why it is impor-
longer be attached to our customs and traditions. It is in activities such as this that we demonstrate our love of country through dances and through songs. And finally we are able to assimilate and integrate and tell other ethnicities in the country
we are now residing in about who we Filipinos are through our customs traditions and through our food and our being a community. That’s why celebrating Philippine independence is very important to every Filipino even if we are overseas.
tant for us to be in this event. Editor: Lani is one of this newspaper’s valued community advisors. We welcome community leaders to join our team. editor: filipinonews @xtra.co.nz
SHIRLEY MAIQUEZ BATH community leader. I am really proud tht I am wearing my Philippine costume. At our fashion event the collection on parade showcases the rich and colourful culture of the Philippines. For me it is all about how beautiful these women are. Also the clothes represent our culture. How rich, interesting and colourful they are.
JOENELLA GRIARTE - keen pageant contestant. Today I am wearing a Filipina dress inspired by our Philippine flag. The white triangle symbolises peace, the red symbolises bravery, the blue represents patriotism. The three gold stars represent the three main divisions of our country - Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanoa and the 8 rays represent the eight provinces.
KEZIAH - student at Hillcrest High School, Hamilton. I’ve been in the Hillcrest High School ‘Tinikling’ group for 4 years now. We believe that it is important for the Filipino culture to be exposed in the community and so we feel that dancing one of our cultural dances of the Philippines is really important.
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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KALAYAAN 2019
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President’s Message
President Rodrigo R. Duterte administers the oath to the newly elected government officials of Cagayan de Oro City during a ceremony at the Xavier Sports and Country Club. (Simeon Celi Jr./Presidential Photo)
MANILA - I am one with the Filipino people in commemorating the Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. A hundred and twenty-one years have passed since our forefathers bound their fates, their lives and their fortunes together to proclaim the independence of the Filipino people. It was the most significant event in our country’s history. Not only did we put an
end to more than three centuries of subservience but we also resolved to determine the course of our own destiny as a nation. But the freedom we achieved back then was not without cost. The tree of liberty blossomed on these lands because it was nourished by the sweat and blood of our patriots, heroes and martyrs. Let us commit ourselves to ensuring that their sacrifices have not
been in vain and that their dream of a truly independent Philippines – whose people live freely in a secure, stable and prosperous society – will be achieved within our lifetimes. May we have a solemn and meaningful observance. Rodrigo Roa Duterte The President of the Philippines
Flying the flag high In New Zealand we hold our commemorative events days before or even a month after the actual Independence date. How did 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 Philippine Embassy in Wellington or the Wreath Laying at The Philippine Ambassador Rizal Reserve, to NZ, Jesus Domingo, speaking Corregidor Place in at the Embassy’s flag-hoisting Avondale, Auckland ceremony in Wellington. or one of many other celebrations nationwide. the SIT Hansen Hall The Southland Multi- from 6pm. The event is a cultural Council is or- celebration of Filipino ganising ‘Pagkakaisa culture through food, 2019’ on 15th June at music, talent and fellow-
ship. In Auckland C A P O is organising ‘Awitan at Sayawan sa araw ng Kalayaan’ (Search for Gintong Tinig 2019) on 15th June 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!
The international education industry said missed enrolments were causing multi-million dollar losses and damaging New Zealand's reputation.
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"Immigration New Zealand is just taking a very long time to process applications, which leads to students either missing out on their courses, or it leads to students being separated from their partners and potentially family."
More than 7500 student visa applications are yet to be processed and of those, about 1500 students have been waiting since February or before. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is under fire from students and education providers who say they are paying a heavy cost for a poor planning of its restructure and forecast visa numbers. Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said delays in visa processing were the number one thing people contacted him about. The international education industry said missed enrolments were causing multi-million dollar losses and damaging New Zealand's reputation. More than 7500 student visa applications are yet to be processed and of those, about 1500 students have been waiting since February or before. One master's degree student received his visa yesterday, having applied mid-December for a course that started in February. He will now join his course in July. The International Students' Association president Lukas Kristen said the problem was affecting students and their partners. "Immigration New Zealand is just taking a very long time to process applications, which leads to students either missing out on their courses, or it leads to students being separated from their
International Students'Association president, Lukas Kristen
Voice of New Kiwis, International Students partners and potentially famiemail: migrantnews@xtra.co.nz I 27th Year of Publication ly." The chief executive of the priBy GILLIAN BONNETT vate education and training provider, Aspire2 International, Clare Bradley said while some students would join a later intake, others went to Canada and Australia. Ms Bradley is on the board of Independent Tertiary Education (ITENZ) and said even if visas were now approved, fees of late-arriving students would never and higher-quality, more "I've certainly heard a be recouped. consistent decisions in the lot from education indusShe said the industry long-term. try but by the same token, had suffered multi-milThe question of the education industry lion-dollar losses and the whether more staff needs to recognize that as cost would be significant should have been recruit- a government, we have a for universities, too. ed last year was a ques- view that they need to Polytechnics and insti- tion for INZ, which was move from volume to tutes of technology were doing everything it could value. being hit hard, at a time to make the changes run "There have been uninwhen they were already smoothly but was also tended consequences of under considerable finan- scrutinising applications the education system cial strain, she said. more than it used to. being used as a backdoor Trust in New Zealand "That's why I've indi- to residency. And so, among agents and stu- cated to Immigration Immigration New Zeadents was damaged and New Zealand that I want land is rightly tightening the industry was having them to keep me closely up its processes." to redouble efforts to pro- informed about how INZ visa services manmote itself. things are going and what ager Michael Carley said Mr Lees-Galloway said they are doing." it had seen an increase in the restructure caused Education institutes applications which needshort-term delays but had been making their ed greater assessment and would hopefully lead to views known about the verification. quicker processing times, delays, he said. Applications from In-
The 'unintended consequences' of tightening student visas Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway
dia between November and February increased by 42 percent. INZ said the primary reasons for that rise were thought to be last year's post-study work visa changes and the decision not to review in-study work rights. The ministry was in seeking reasons why some student visa applications were taking longer to finalise, Mr Carley said. "INZ appreciates that the increased processing time is impacting some education providers and we have received feedback from some providers regarding their concerns about longer pro-
cessing times. "INZ has also undergone a large change programme over the last 18 months, which has seen the consolidation of visa processing by type." International education contributes more than $5 billion to the New Zealand economy and is the country's fourth largest export earner, supporting almost 50,000 jobs. First-time student visas are down seven percent in the year to May compared to the previous year. Enrolment numbers are not yet available. RNZ
Death threats and abuse as visa delay frustrations grow By GILLIAN BONNETT
Immigration advisers say they are receiving death threats and abuse from clients struggling with long visa processing delays. They say although the financial costs are immense, the damage to New Zealand's reputation as a destination could be devastating. The vice-president of the national industry body, Licensed Immigration Advisers for New Zealand in India
(LIANZ), Munish Sekhri, said they are doing their best to represent clients, but complaints are directed at them because of frustration at Immigration New Zealand (INZ) delays and lack of communication. He said some advisers (LIAs) have started taking on more business from countries with smoother visa processes because of the misery, business risk and lack of support from Immigration New Zealand in India.
Students, partners of New Zealand residents and citizens and young children had been in the managed queue since November, with "no hope on the horizon that such applications will be decided any time soon". "INZ has failed to respond to status check emails sent to them by the LIAs on behalf of the paying clients," he said. "INZ has no client-facing arrangements, hence, LIAs are the ones who are being harassed by the clients and their families,
due to the apathy of INZ. "Whilst we understand that INZ is going through a massive transition, but there is no proper channel of communication available to the LIAs to advocate on behalf of the clients. "I can count at least three applications in which the families are on the verge of a breakdown." Staff in Mumbai had also requested education agents and immigration advisers not to send any status checks or reminder
emails because it needs to concentrate on the visa backlog. The licensed advisers pay fees in New Zealand and undergo training and continuous professional development to continue to practice in India, he said. It's questionable whether Education New Zealand and the immigration system will ever recover from the current crisis, he added. "Many LIAs and staff have received abusive calls and even death
threats if the LIAs do not get/provide clarity of the processing times," he said. "This has created another wave of insecurity and identity crisis for the LIAs, who, despite doing their best to represent the clients, are at the receiving end of threats, abu, abuse, complaints, possible litigation and loss of revenue and reputation." - Above articles courtesy of RNZ
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Families of secondary students will no longer have to pay fees for NCEA and NZ Scholarship, in one of a raft of changes announced recently to strengthen the qualification and pave the way for more young people to succeed. More than 145,000 households are estimated to benefit from the removal of the $76.70 NCEA fee that families pay every year for around 168,000 secondary students. “As part of the Wellbeing Budget we are abolishing these fees to make things a bit easier for families to make ends meet and to ensure that every student who achieves NCEA can receive their qualification,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. The Government is also funding the continued roll out of the NCEA Online program, so that students can opt to sit their exams using a PC or laptop. “This reflects
“The future of work is changing at a staggeringly fast rate as digital transformation, automation and artificial intelligence take over many jobs that were previously performed by people,” Tech Leaders NZ chairperson David Kennedy says. While this will make some human-driven roles obsolete, it will also create new jobs that will require different skills. This digital disruption of work happens quickly, which means that companies need to be able to move fast in order to keep pace. “For many businesses, their current staff may not possess the new skills that are going to be required in the future, so they must consider how they will future-proof their workforce,” Kennedy says in a Tech Leaders NZ discussion paper. “One way for companies to ensure that they have an adaptable workforce is to adopt a capability framework as a way of measuring and managing
Removal of fees and a stronger NCEA the way students already interact with the world and how they are doing much of their learning and it helps to prepare them for their next steps after school.” The removal of fees is one of a number of improvements to NCEA following a year-long review which 16,000 New Zealanders took part in. “These improvements are a major step towards making the respected and valued NCEA more relevant for students. “They address limitations and unintended consequences that have built up over time. Overassessment has been swamping students and
teachers and getting in the way of actual learning and the current reality is that some students can finish school with gaps in their knowledge and skills. “Some young people don’t cover all the learning that is important and there has not been a strong enough focus on literacy and numeracy. “Considering that only around a third of Year 13 school leavers go into degree-level study, it is vital that we do more to prepare all students for successful transitions into vocational training, work, or further studies. “Teachers will get more time to teach and students more time to learn, with a shift away from fragmented, small assessments towards larger, more unified blocks of learning and assessment. NCEA will be more accessible and more focused on the most important learning needed to set young people up for success.”
Companies must plan for the future of digital transformation
their human resources. Capability frameworks focus on continuous learning and future potential. “Technology leaders from some of New Zealand’s largest organisations have discussed how capability frameworks can enable organisations to keep up with
changes. “The rapid rise in technology is changing the nature of work for many businesses. While these technological developments lead to increased productivity for companies, organisations are now struggling with how to keep their staff employed, engaged and
able to do the changing roles required of them. “The challenge is for businesses to prepare a future workforce which is highly adaptable. This involves ensuring that there is the infrastructure in place for people to upskill on-demand, without major time commitments. “In order for businesses to manage their future workforce, they need to understand the skills and capability possessed by their current employees, so they can adapt them to meet their changing needs.” Traditionally, compe-
tency frameworks have been the way in which many organisations structure and manage their human resources. Competency frameworks based on a person’s current skills can be cumbersome and complicated. Comparatively, capability frameworks are about continuous learning and potential. Capability frameworks focus on what someone is capable of doing in the future and their ability to get certain outcomes. The implications of an accelerated pace-ofchange needs to be factored in. If a business is changing rapidly then they need to understand how that impacts their staff’s needs. With the half-life of a skill decreasing sharply they need to have a strategy in place to future-proof their staff. “We recommend that large organisations should create the CV of the future. They need to articulate what they think are going to be the most valuable skills and attrib-
utes their employees may need going forward,” Kennedy says. This will provide guidance to employees looking to ready themselves for future changes and help attract new talent. “Tech Leaders recognise that there is a need for education providers to offer quick, online and flexible micro-courses to upskill people who are already in the workforce. “While NZQA is working to introduce more micro-credentials into the market, education providers should move rapidly to pilot microtraining that may not need full NZQA credentialing in order to provide value. “It will be incumbent on large organisations to clearly articulate capability development areas needed in order to provide guidance to education partners,” he says. Tech Leaders are part of the large NZ Tech Alliance, which consists of more than 20 tech associations that represent more
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Slow visa processing 'hurting employers' As employers grapple with visa delays, Immigration New Zealand is blaming its slow processing times on unforseen demand. Ninety percent of applications for an essential skills work visa are taking three months or longer to process - sparking concern from Education New Zealand as well as local business owners. Restaurateur and entrepreneur Fleur Caulton of Go To Collection owns nine restaurants including the Madam Woo chain, and said her businesses' need for immigrant workers was "just becoming greater and greater". But she said her company - and others in the hospitality industry - was getting
sick of the delays. Ms Caulton said the Madam Woo Takapuna branch hired a new manager in February, but were left in limbo until June due to visa delays. It put both the employee and the restaurant in a very difficult position as the manager could not earn money while she waited - and having received her signed contract, the restaurant could not legally hire anyone else, she said. Business NZ Immigration Manager Rachel Simpson said it was the same story up and down the country with a range of businesses. "All of the industries we know are struggling with this,"
she said. It came as the country's unemployment fell to 4.2 percent and labour shortages became prevalent in horticulture, age care and other industries. But the reality was "no businesses looking to immigration as the first port of call for recruiting staff," even though it was essential that they were able to get more people into their industry, she said. "Consistency, timeliness and communication around what's going on, is really important for the
immigration process." Immigration New Zealand Assistant General Manager Peter Elms said the delays could be attributed to increasing volumes of visa applications having "far exceeded the forecasts". "Over the last two years, we're averaging over 8 percent yearon-year growth in visa volumes. And that was against an original forecast of 3 percent," he said. In the top five areas occupations listed in essential skills visa applications - chef, dairy farmer, carpenter, retail supervisor and retail manager, he said there was no way to legitimately prove an applicant's skill level - and that led to a
lot of people inflating their skills. There was a series of c h a n g e s underway to streamline Immigration New Zealand's visa application processing times, put employers "front and centre", and resolve the current issues, he said. But Ms Simpson said getting service levels up to an acceptable standard should be their priority before going down the path of introducing more changes from employer roles. And Mr Elms conceded there was room for improvement in Immigration New Zealand's communication processes. "Absolutely our communications can be better. We can be communicating with the applicant better than we do and we can have better communications with the employer." - RNZ
Regional focus on skills shortages
“Skills shortages lists are now more regionalised, so that we can build thriving and sustainable regions,” says Immigration Minister Iain Building industry Lees-Galloway, who announced the new lists recently. “We are supporting our regions to thrive by focusing more on what skills are needed in their specific area with our new listings,” says Iain LeesGalloway. “Under the Essential Skills in Demand programme, we’ve changed the Immediate Skills Shortage List to the Regional Skill Shortage List and expanded the number of regions from six to 15. This shows us which skills are needed in which region and shows New Zealanders and temporary migrants where their opportunities are for work in provincial New Zealand. “These changes to the Essential Skills in Demand lists are the first step in the Government’s plan to streamline and regionalise the skills-based visa system and require industries that benefit to invest in and provide opportunities for Kiwi workers.
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RIGHTS RESTORED
FOR EMPLOYEES Employment law changes that came into effect recently restores protections for working New Zealanders, strengthen the role of collective bargaining and promote fair wages and conditions, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “The Government is committed to building a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy that delivers good jobs, decent work conditions and fair wages,” he adds. “Late last year we passed legislation to provide additional protections and rights for workers. The most noticeable change for many workers and employers is the return of the right to set rest and meal breaks and the
end of 90-day trials in businesses with 20 or more employees.” Key changes that came into effect include: • reinstating prescribed meal and rest breaks • strengthening collective bargaining and union rights • restoring protections for vulnerable workers, such as those in the cleaning and catering industries, regardless of the size of their employer • limiting 90-day trials to businesses with fewer than 20 employees “The Government believes that everyone deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and these changes will help achieve that. They strike the right balance,
providing strong safeguards and rights to workers, while maintaining certainty and flexibility for employers.” Iain Lees-Galloway also released an updated Code of Good Faith in Collective Bargaining, as agreed by business, union and government representatives. “The Code of Good Faith gives employers and unions guidance on good faith and is used by the Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court. The changes in this latest version, though largely technical, will ensure consistency between the current code and the updated law,” says Iain LeesGalloway.
Auckland restaurant owner to pay $5,000 for breaching Holidays Act The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has ordered Auckland restaurant owner to pay $5,000 for failure to comply with the Labour Inspectorate’s instructions in relation to records keeping and staff’s public holiday entitlements. Ravi Singh, the director of a Botany restaurant trading as Raviz, has sold the business, but continues to operate another Auckland restaurant under the same name. The Labour Inspectorate found that the Botany business failed to provide accurate pay and leave records. It also failed to pay time-and-ahalf to a staff member who worked on 11 public holidays. The Inspectorate issued an improvement
notice, requiring Mr Singh to audit payments made for public holidays and alternative holidays for all former employees and to pay any shortfalls identified. Improvement notices give employers the chance to fix their compliance issues without penalty. While Mr Singh took some steps to rectify the errors, he failed to demonstrate that all the necessary payments had been made and compliance had been achieved. The ERA ordered the employer to pay $5,000 for the failings. “This case demonstrates employers cannot escape responsibility by on-selling their business, and we will continue to pursue unscrupulous
employers,” says Labour Inspectorate Regional Manager David Milne. “Consumers are also voting with their feet and refusing to buy from businesses that fail to provide their staff with the legal entitlements,” says Mr Milne. MBIE encourages anyone concerned about the employment situation of themselves or someone they know to call its contact centre on 0800 20 90 20, where their concerns will be handled in a safe environment.
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Pinoy beekeepers swarm into Katikati for a reunion ...
By Celso Roger Baldo
Over 200 Filipino beekeepers who work mainly in the North Island, their families and friends swarmed in to enjoy the Easter break and inaugurate this momentous celebration.
KATIKATI, Bay of Plenty - The first ever reunion of Filipino beekeepers in New Zealand - most of whom originate from the Cordillera region, plus some from other parts of the Philippines - was held from 21-22 April in Katikati, Bay of Plenty. Over 200 Filipino beekeepers who work mainly in the North Island, their families and friends swarmed in to enjoy the Easter break and inaugurate this momentous celebration. The reunion allowed guests the chance to catch up with old mates and make new friends after a long and busy beekeeping season. The event was hosted by Steve and Camila Harvey of the Honey Shed Company and their three Filipino staff. The beekeepers joining the event worked with leading honey farms like Pure Manuka
Honey Ltd, Oha Honey, Comvita, Silson Honey, Manuka Health, Coast to Coast Bees, Settlers Honey, Hill Country Honey, Braguta Queens and Marcel & Sons Honey Ltd. "It is good to know that some of the Filipino beekeepers who now work here are either citizens, residents or work permit visa holders,” noted an elder at the event. “Some are managers, head beekeepers, queen breeders and team leaders of some of the big beekeeping outfits that were mentioned.” The 2-day event was facilitated by Mrs Jonah Peg-ed who said that “as the celebration fell on Easter day, we will remember that Jesus is alive. But this gathering should not be taken as a religious event, but moreso as something deep in our hearts". continued on page 10
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Our little bees are winter ready
A hive of activity ... She added that the Lenten period is seen as a celebration of new beginnings and a renewal of faith, love and the hope that the dreams and aspirations of each family for a greener pasture will come true despite facing many challenges living here in this land of the long white cloud Aotearoa. The attendees from the different provinces in the Cordillera performed their distinctive dances accompanied by their famous gangsa, fusioned with lively songs presented by the
Side Bee Band and guest singers. The participation of the host Kiwi families and friends was absolutely brilliant as they gamely joined the almost neverending community dance. Other activities were the presence of a bouncy castle and the Easteregg hunt and games to delight the Fil-Kiwi children. Early birds had the chance to go fishing or to participate in the sports fest - basketball, billiards, darts, table tennis and a taekwondo
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demo were popular activities. As part of Cordilleran culture wherever they congregate around the world, it is traditional to offer deliciously cooked pork and goat dishes for everyone to enjoy. The Easter date for this event was perfectly timed - just before most of the beekeepers start heading home to the Philippines for a vacation. They will be returning to start the new beekeeping season as early as the end of July.
Here come again the cold evenings A chilly one in the winter mornings I'm tucked with my thick clothes A farming All Blacks beanie as my hood Today is a planned apiary visit T'was a scheduled to do on my list To go and check our dear little bees To be ready in this cold winter breeze Armed with my usual beekeeping gear A smoker, hive tool and my bee suit A sugar syrup in case I need to feed A fogger for mites to drop them dead A little say hi upon opening thy lid I saw our bees showing good deeds A smooth puffer from the smoker Makes the bees a little bit calmer In winter some bees tends to hibernate But Apis mellifera remains to be active Feed them with pollen patty for nutrients As well as honey & syrup as supplements Old shitty frames and boxes were changed Hive entrances weedeaten and cleaned Pallets strapped and free from the stock Farmers’ thumbs up, gates are now locked I'm quite happy with what I did see As the bees are still full of energy To heat the hive and protect their queenie I left with a smile, knowing our bees are winter ready ##poetry in the apiary 01## by: haring pukyutan/king bee Cambridge, NZ
When bees and beekeepers switch off for the season By Celso Roger Baldo CAMBRIDGE - As autumn comes to an end, the queen bees stop laying eggs. This is also the time for most beekeeping outfits to finish wintering down hives. Bee hives are fully checked and stored honey is now topped up with
sugar syrup for the bees to use to survive during the early winter months of June and July. Honey bees, though, are still active, but with no source of nectar to forage from during winter months, they will depend mostly on the stored food inside their hives. This is the source of the energy
for them to maintain their body temperatures to stay alive and to maintain the temperature inside the hive to protect the queen. Beekeeping requires manpower to carry out the day to day planned activities in the operation – either in the arena of production of honey,
mated/virgin queen, queen cells and contract pollinations to fruit orchards. Most bigger beekeeping outfits continue to be busy during winter with jobs such as building bee boxes and painting them, frame assembly, wiring, wax invading, scraping and sorting frames, wax
rendering, as well as wax dipping. Stocktaking of gear is done in this period to ensure that the numbers are up to date on the records. Also to know the amount of old gear that needs to be replaced and the amount of new items needed for the next season. This is also the time that beekeepers are preparing to attend the annual 'Apiculture New Zealand Conference and
Trade Exhibition', which will be held at Rotorua Energy Events Centre on June 27-29, 2019, with the theme of Growing Value, Sharing Knowledge. Meanwhile, most seasonal and permanent beekeepers who are currently working in the industry after the long season, are on their way home to catch up with their families. This will give them ample time to rest and be back again before August for the start of the new
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Balut: Yucky but yummy By PRIAM NEPOMUCENO MANILA - Some foreigners find it yucky, but to Filipinos, 'balut' (boiled duck embryo) is one yummy delicacy that will never go out of style. Adding to the peculiarity of this appetizing street food is the melodious way vendors go about selling their wares throughout the night. Cries of balut will either be long or short depending on the voice of the hawker of this tasty dish, which is also a rich source of calcium and protein. In Cubao alone stalls selling this delicacy abound much to the delight of Filipinos from all walks of life with a craving for balut, which costs around PHP11 to PHP14 each. “Binabalikan yung balut
ko dahil sa suka, masarap kasi saka pati na rin ‘yung lasa (Many are craving for the balut that I sell because of my vinegar that goes with it. It's delicious),” said Wilma Apostol, 61, who has been selling balut for more than 10 years. She gets her balut from the province of Laguna, not in Pateros, as balut there is cheaper. Also, the length of incubation before balut is cooked
ranges between 14 and 21 days. “Kasi masustansya at malasa ‘yung balut kaya marami bumibili. Mas mabenta ang balut arawaraw. Depende ang kita namin sa dami ng bumibili (There are many buyers because it is nutritious and delicious. Balut really sells like hotcakes. Of course, our income depends on the number of buyers),” Elvera Roa, 40, said. Historically, the Chinese introduced balut to the Philippines around 1885 and it is now considered a Filipino delicacy. For Darwin Fernandez, 20, he prefers balut to 'penoy' or unfertilized egg.
“Matagal na akong mahilig sa balut, minsan nga ‘pag galing sa eskwela, bumibili ako ng balut bago pumila sa pagsakay sa jeep (I have been fond of balut for a long time. There are times when I buy balut before falling in line for a jeepney ride on the way home from school),” he said, while eating balut. Meanwhile, Russel Agang, 20, said that while he was stunned by the sisiw (chick) inside it, what he really craves is the egg's sabaw (the egg's amniotic fluid). So the next time one hears a vendor chanting balut, it would be best to go out and experience this one-of-a-kind gastronomic adventure.
(with reports from DARWIN C PESCO and OJT/ PNA)
Korean Air to remove nuts from in-flight meals By MA. CRISTINA ARAYATA MANILA -- To protect passengers who are allergic to peanuts South Korean flag carrier Korean Air (KE) has stopped serving nuts and will soon remove food containing peanut ingredients from its in-flight meals, an airline executive told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday. Jill Chung, deputy general manager of KE's Corporate Communications, said that the decision came after two passengers were recently offloaded due to peanut allergies. "We have stopped serving peanuts since March 25, right after the incident happened. Within a few weeks (from now) we will also remove foods containing peanut ingredients," she said. The KE executive said that two boys from Atlanta were supposedly bound for the Philippines via Incheon in Seoul. They were offloaded from the Incheon-Manila flight because of peanut allergies. "They took a Delta flight on their way to Seoul," she said. Delta Air Lines is a joint venture partner of KE. The airline has already replaced peanuts with other snacks, like crackers. According to KE, allergies to peanuts are among the emerging issues in the aviation industry. A number of global carriers have also stopped offering peanut products, it added. (PNA)
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Marian blessed with new baby boy
CHIKA MUNA
By STAFF WRITER
MANILA - Another blessing has been bestowed on Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes - a baby boy named Sixto or Ziggy. Sixto is named after his father Dingdong - whose real name is Jose Sixto Raphael Conzalez Dantes III. Now baby Sixto is the fourth in line carrying this name in the Dantes family. Marian gave birth on 16 April - the couple’s second child. Their first child Leticia or Zia, aged three years, was born on November 2015. Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes got married in December 2014. During Easter, just five days after baby Sixto was born, Marian posted on her Instagram page @marianrivera a photo of her son with husband Dingdong. Marian wrote: “Noon,
nangarap kaming magka(To have another, a son, Maraming Salamat,” roon ng suppling at bini- is an answer to our Marian wrote. gyan Niya kami ng isa. prayers, that’s why my (I thought I wouldn’t Makalipas ang tatlong heart is overwhelmed with able to bear the pain, but I taon, humingi kami at this blessing.) was able to make it ibinigay Niya.” “Akala ko hindi ko through because of all the (Before, we wished to kakayanin, ngunit, support and love of our have a child and He gave nakaraos ako dahil sa family, especially all your us one. After three years, suporta ng mga nag- prayers. Thank you.) w e asked and He gave us another one.) S h e added: “ A n g magkaroon ng isa pang lalaking anak ay Family picture (posted May 12, Mother’s sagot sa Day): “Salamat Ama, for my greatest gift!” aming With baby bump: “Last photoPhoto credit: @marianrivera dasl, shoot before I pop. Excited to kaya’t meet our little one.” nangumamahal sa In the spirit of Easter, Photo credit: @marianrivera u m a p a m i l y a she added: “Ngayong p a w n a m i n g , nabuhay na ulit si Hesus, ang aking puso sa lalung-lalo na dahil sa muling ipinapaalala ng biyayang ito.” mga dasal ninyong lahat. araw na ito na lahat tayo
Picture of the baby held by DingDong Dantes Photo credit: @marianrivera Instagram page
ay biyaya ng Diyos sa isa’t-isa. Happy Easter.” (Now that Jesus has risen, it reminds us that on this day that we are all blessings from God to one another. Happy Easter.) Finally, she added: “Ito na marahil ang pinakamasayang Pasko Ng Pagkabuhay ng aking
buong pakikipagsapalaran sa mundong ito dahil sila – si Dong, si Letizia at si Sixto – sila ang aking buhay.” (This might be the happiest Easter in all my life in my journey through this world, because they – Dong, Letizia and Sixto – they are my life.)
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Sarah Geronimo releases her own makeup line MANILA - Good news for all the makeup junkies and Popsters out there. Popstar Royalty, Sarah Geronimo, has just released her own makeup line and it’s called Pop
Studios! Pop Studio cosmetics offers a full set of makeup for those of you who are in need of a makeover. The selection includes lip balms, primers, a set of lip-
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