PINOY NZ LIFE Issue 7

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Helping the migrant in a sea of uncertainty

By NOEL BAUTISTA Imagine getting involved i n a c a r - a n d - t r a i n a c c ident, less than a month after you arrive in New Zealand.

Imagine suffering a brain aneurysm as a new OFW in this country.

Or imagine falling from scaffolding while hard at

pg 03

work a few days into your job, despite all the health and safety precautions that were taken.

Now imagine having no protection at all against the health and financial (and other) consequences of these terrible events.

Knock on wood and God forbid, we hope and pray these things won’t happen

to us. And God willing, they probably never will.

But believe it or not, to an unlucky few of our k a b a y a n , t h o s e e x a c t m i sfortunes described above happened to them when they were barely getting their feet wet, or were still getting the shoe-polish aroma out of their shiny new work boots.

Voter turn-out at New Zealand local elections keep falling, but paying people to vote could backfire

pg 12

The effects of these accidents and health episodes were profound and long lasting, affecting t h e l i v e s , c a r e e r s a n d f a milies of our kabayan long after the incidents.

But equally terrible, due to the suddenness and unexpectedness of the events, were the loss of lives, jobs and incomes to

our fellow OFWs and migrants; things that will never be replaced.

Which is why, even on the cusp of a new life abroad and with your dreams almost within reach, OFWs and new m i g r a n t s a l i k e a r e c o nstantly advised to protect against uncertainty and plan for the future.

PAGEANTS IN REVIVAL MODE Four Filipinas are vying for the title - Mrs Universe NZ - this year.

Is there revived interest in joining pageants around the world?

And the best way to do t h i s , a c c o r d i n g t o e x p e r ienced and expert kabayan advisers in New Zealand, is to purchase insurance.

Your feedback about this seminar is welcome. Email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz

pg 09

NUN’S CANONIZATION Venerable Maria Beatriz Rosario Arryo - founder of a Filipina-run Dominican congregation.

pg 15

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ISSUE 07

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‘Better than I was the last time...’

DAVID CORREOS

DAVID CORREOS: A Filipino-Kiwi comedian’s phenomenal rise to fame and popularity in the entertainment industry.

“I was born in and grew up in Christchurch. My parents were born in the Philippines and they migrated to New Zealand.”

CHRISTCHURCH - David Correos is a New Zealand born Filipino whose meteoric rise in the comedy scene is nothing short of phenomenal.

He was crowned the new king of Filipino observational comedy in 2017.

That honour was previously bestowed on James Roque - the first Filipino to make a name for himself in the comedy scene in New Zealand.

One of the highlights of Correos’ career was when he received the prestigious Billy T James Award in 2016 – an annual award for the best ‘newcomer’ in the comedy scene. “So, winning the ‘Billy T Award’ was one of the coolest things to happen in my life,” he admitted when he hosted a compelling TV3 documentary on diversity titled ‘Both Worlds’.

Over the last couple of years he has been perfecting his craft. Correos admits that for a while his show was high energy, nonsensical, manic and silly. “I just love taking my clothes off and freaking people out in the audience. I find that so funny.

But do I keep being the silly man or start telling stories?

“I decided that I was going to write some new material that was all going to be story based and hopefully would be the kind of jokes that even my parents could enjoy.”

The reinvented Correos put on a show in Christchurch in 2016 that focused on 'the culture clash' he had as a Filipino growing up in New Zealand.

His mum confidently invited all her friends to the event. Her verdict:

“I’m glad you don’t get naked at shows … You don’t embarrass me anymore.”

In an interview with ‘Kabayan News’ (now titled ‘Pinoy NZ Life’ www.pinoynzlife.nz) he talked at length about the making of a comedian.

He attended a two year drama course at Hagley College as he wanted to be in musical theatre, but was advised against it.

Then he applied at a broadcasting school and got denied. “Everything else failed and I was desperate to do something,” he said. He wanted to be a chef, only to be told by his career adviser that he would fare better as a TV presenter.

He couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do. But with the assistance of a director he did a monologue and ended up enjoying it. “Everyone loved me and everyone was enjoying themselves,” he said. People went up to him to say that he did well – that is where he planted the seed for his career.

Hagley taught him the basics of theatre: dance, voice, script reading and acting on stage. However, he did not fall in love with acting. Only after leaving Hagley did he find his passion – making people laugh and making a connection with the audience.

“Everything I am good at is because I get

obsessed with it,” he explained.

“And when I am obsessed with something I do my homework and go much further,” he said.

‘Monday Night Magic’ was where it all started for David after a friend invited him to join this variety show. The show was made by performers in Christchurch after the earthquake when there were no venues and no performances in the broken city.

According to David, the variety show was an awesome environment to grow up around - where he performed with people he had watched his whole life.

When David moved to Auckland in 2014, he felt like he was a small fish in a big pond. He found it very challenging. He took a risk to move there and realised that he was surrounded by performers better than him, but he wanted to get to the next level in his career.

He knew he was funny, but he was missing something in his repertoire. He felt that he had to work hard to be good as everyone else. It was his wake up call.

“I do not make money from doing comedy shows,” he said. “I am not a full time stand up comedian. So I had part time jobs and was coaching weight lifting for a while.”

The next step in his career was the journey to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. The festival has been around for 79 years and it was created by people who were sick of going to Shakespearean plays or watching the opera and who wanted to see something else. David’s man-

A few surprises for his fans in 2019. As one commentator observed: “Putting his body on the line for your entertainment takes its toll, what the hell happened?” Well, Correos has shed a lot of weight.

The curtain rises to reveal a slimmer and more dashing personality on stage, who is moving things up a notch with a completely revamped show aptly titled: ‘Better than I was the last time’. ager thought that it would be a good move.

“Edinburgh was like a boot camp,” said Correos.

“In New Zealand I can do a comedy gig two or three times a week and that is considered busy.

In Edinburgh I did gigs three times a night. And after doing comedy gigs three times a night for a month you get to be good.

Really, really good,” he explained.

“Comedy isn’t luck, it’s a skill - you have to work hard at it. What was great was that every gig I presented was a new challenge – something fresh.

“At Edinburgh I saw some insane things done on stage. Very inspiring.

I watched a show where a comedian, who after managing to make his audience comfortable, got the audience members to admit that they cheated on their partners. You can imagine how intense it was to watch that. It was mind blowing that all this was possible and to see

how silly you could be on stage. That was what I needed to see.”

David said that his confidence level is rising as he gets to know his audiences. But he added that every country has a different sense of humour and that shocks him. For instance, in New Zealand audiences want performers to be self-deprecating.

They want you to make fun of yourself and then you can say whatever you want as long as it is not too arrogant; that is acceptable.

Whereas in the UK, as people pay to see you, they want you to be worth the money they paid for.

So if a performer goes on stage and is self-deprecating, they’d say that performer is not that good.

David remembered a guy saying to him during his performance: “Bring in the next one.”

“If you don’t believe in yourself people will not believe in you,” said Correos. He had the worst

gig of his life in Edinburgh because he went on stage unsure of himself. He felt scared.

The audience felt that, people insulted him and he was booed off the stage.

“Everyone I spoke to in New Zealand said that Edinburgh was really hard but somehow I managed to do 48 gigs there Monday to Sunday.” He accepted the fact that of the 48 gigs, 25 went bad and puts it down to a learning experience.

Fortunately there were extreme highs and extreme lows – at one gig he got a standing ovation.

Correos has proven time and again that he has staying power.

He returned to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2018 with a brand new show titled ‘The Correos Effect’. He also presented this revamped show at the Fringe Festivals in Dunedin, Auckland and Adelaide last year.

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Voter turnout at NZ local elections keeps falling, but paying people to vote could backfire

By Julia Talbot-Jones Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington Rather than encouraging people to become better citizens, rewards and fines can actually reduce peoples’ natural tendencies to do the right thing by others.

Last week voter enrolment for the 2019 local government elections closed in New Zealand and concerns about low voter turnout resurfaced.

During a panel discussion run by Auckland Council, the idea was raised to pay people to vote to encourage participation.

The concerns about low voter turnout are well founded. Voting rates in local government elections have been falling for at least 30 years and voter participation now rests at around 40% – almost half that of general elections.

The idea that we should be paying people to cast their vote in New Zealand isn’t new. But the notion ignores the evidence that using explicit monetary incentives to induce prosocial behaviour can be counterproductive.

Homo economicus The suggestion to pay people to vote rests heavily on the assumption that people subscribe to the self-interested motivations of Homo economicus: the idea that people make decisions purely on extrinsic motivations often determined by financial incen-

tives.

This type of thinking has guided political theorists and constitutional thinkers since the late 18th century; influencing policy and causing laws to be designed to induce people to act as if they were civic minded, rather than explicitly encouraging the cultivation of civic virtues.

But this approach to policy making ignores the fact that we frequently observe people making choices in the best interests of society, rather than solely on what might best financially benefit themselves. These decisions are understood to be guided by intrinsic motivations, as opposed to extrinsic motivations.

The crowding out paradox The issue is that in situations where intrinsic moti-

vations are ignored and substituted for market mechanisms, such as rewards or fines, we can 'crowd out' intrinsic motivations. In other words, rather than enhancing prosocial behaviour, rewards and fines can actually reduce peoples’ natural tendencies to be good citizens.

Perhaps the most well known illustration of crowding out was a controlled behavioural experiment in Haifa, Israel, where parents who were late picking up their children at the end of the day were fined.

Parents responded to the fine, but not as the daycare centres had hoped. Rather than encouraging cooperative behaviour the fine appeared to undermine the parents’ sense of personal

obligation to avoid inconveniencing the teachers and late pick-ups more than doubled.

Another well known example found that paying people to give blood in the United Kingdom caused donations to go down, while another study found that paying people to collect money for charity caused the volunteers to collect fewer donations.

In each of these cases, peoples’ natural tendencies

to do good were crowded out by fines, bonuses or other incentives that put a price on their civic behaviour and left them less inclined to act in a pro-social and generous way.

Message for policymakers Voter turnout rates help to show how citizens feel about government, both in terms of their confidence in political institutions and whether their participation can make a difference. Because of this, the long-term trend in local government voter engagement should be raising red flags among decision makers in New Zealand.

So what to do? Although there is unlikely to be a panacea for increasing turnout, a mix of strategies that integrate structural reform with behavioural tools, such as requiring voters to opt out rather than opt in or offering 'I voted' stickers, could offer incremental improvements. Likewise, investing in civic education could

stimulate long-term changes in beliefs and norms, thereby increasing the scope of citizens’ intrinsic motivations and levels of voter engagement.

Whatever the strategies explored, policymakers need to be aware that fines, bonuses or other incentives have the potential to compromise peoples’ pre-existing civic values and intrinsic motivations.

Subsequently, New Zealand decision makers need to take a comprehensive view of the things that motivate people to act when considering ways to increase voter engagement at the next election.

First appeared in ‘The Conversation NZ’.

Disclosure statement Julia Talbot-Jones is an affiliate of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.

Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ.

Rayner Wallen

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If I can help you in any way for your financial or taxation advice please call and have a chat.

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Why we need to pay attention to the Auckland local body elections OPINYON

By LOUIE ENCABO

AUCKLAND - It is said that the Mayor of Auckland is the third most powerful person in New Zealand, after the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, due to the sheer amount of resources under their control.

It is estimated that the Auckland Super-City has an annual budget of $3 billion, employs more than 9,000 staff, has jurisdiction over thousands of hectares of public land and is the largest city council on the entire Oceania continent. Not to mention the fact that the region is home to 1.6 million residents, nearly half of the 4.9 million population of the entire country.

Infrastructure projects of the Auckland City Council, such as team bases for the upcoming America’s Cup competition, can cost more ($250 million) than the entire annual revenue of many smaller New Zealand cities, such as Whangarei ($147.8 million for FY 2017/18).

In that same light, infrastructure projects located in the Auckland region are of such great importance that if their costs blow-out then the central government is

forced to intervene, costing nationwide taxpayers (e.g. the Auckland City Rail Link).

Allocating large sums in the country’s annual budget to Auckland spending often arouses the ire of New Zealanders from outside the region, denouncing it to be unfair to non-Auckland taxpayers.

However, given the sheer number of people living in the country’s most populated region and the scale of commerce located there also, it makes sense that the central government exercises due-diligence with the Auckland super-city.

Hence, the affairs of the Auckland City Council should not be the concern of Aucklanders only. The rest of New Zealand should take heed of the developments in the region, given that it could potentially affect them, albeit indirectly, as well.

As mentioned, the City Rail Link (CRL) – an underground rail project in central Auckland – saw a billion dollar cost increase in April this year.

The infrastructure project is jointly funded by the Government and Auckland Council, therefore every New Zealand taxpayer would have grimaced at the report of the cost blow-out.

Central government

has also contributed at least $136.5 million to various projects related to the upcoming America’s Cup – an international sailing regatta set to be hosted by Auckland in 2021.

Whether a sporting event is a practical use of public funds has been debated, but the project stands to only benefit Aucklanders post-Cup, despite receiving funding from the rest of the country as well.

There are more bigticket Auckland infrastructure projects that will also receive central government funding if they are pushed through; among these is the $6.7 billion light-rail link connecting Britomart to Auckland Airport. This proposed modern tram is the subject of intense scrutiny because of its cost and practicality and also because of the evident superiority of building a heavy-rail link instead.

Take note, the Auckland light-rail project is only one part of the wider Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP), which is a joint spending plan between the central and local Auckland governments and amounts to $28 billion in total. If one project of that entire proposal is already the subject of intense debate, will the

Phil Goff, 66, is completing his first term as Mayor of New Zealand’s most powerful local body - Auckland City Council.

What are his chances for getting re-elected for the top job?

others be too?

The future of the Ports of Auckland is also a salient issue that every New Zealander should pay attention to. There are plans to relocate the port to another region and instead redevelop the existing site into a new commercial district for Auckland or a new stadium, but it generates an estimated $50 million in dividends to the Council each year and could burn a hole in the super-city’s future plans.

The local body elections will be a referendum on Phil Goff’s performance as Mayor.

Being one of the busiest

ports in the country, all New Zealanders should show concern for what the eventual decision regarding the Ports of Auckland’s future will be.

A relocation could be welcome news for a struggling region elsewhere, but could leave Auckland’s finances in a mess that will require more bail-outs from central government in the future.

Again, more reason for every New Zealander to be vigilant about Auckland’s affairs.

Decision-making comes from the Auckland City Council, chaired by the Mayor of Auckland.

While the latter is the defacto leader of the supercity, they are one vote in a council of 20 other councillors.

Thus, the race for councillor in the different wards is just as vital, given that it is ultimately the majority vote of the Council that determines the actions it takes. With a lot at stake, it goes without saying that the Auckland local body elections are more than an Auckland-only affair.

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How critical is volunteering to finding a job? “It’s a big thing,” says Lulette Carnie, a Christchurch based Filipina Employment Co-ordinator. “As migrants like Jody really want a job in their profession, they can use the volunteer scheme as a foundation to land their dream job.”

By MEL FERNANDEZ Like so many migrants before them, Jody Arsenio, husband Jethro and son RJ made a momentous decision in February 2011 – they were going to relocate to New Zealand.

By going down that track, they were leaving behind their close-knit family circle, friends, secure jobs and wellestablished networks to plunge into the unknown.

In spite of being well qualified, finding a job in New Zealand was not as

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Putting the ‘V’ into C.V. straightforward as Jody and her husband thought it would be.

The fact that they were very new to the country was obvious to the employers who received their CVs, Jody tells Migrant News.

“Why didn’t they give us a chance? I realised I had to do something about this,” says Jody. “I can be discouraged or take this as a challenge. I chose to stay positive and hopeful. I saw from the pamphlet in the library that the Auckland Regional Migrant Centre (now branded as Belong Aotearoa) was providing different seminars for new migrants.”

She attended job search seminars there and became aware of what was missing in her CV, something many migrants are in denial about, the lack of any New Zealand experience.

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w w w. f i l i p i n o . k i w i

“At the seminar new skilled migrants are encouraged to seek volunteer experience to gain NZ work experience,” says Lulette Carnie, a former Regional Employment Coordinator at Belong Aotearoa.

“They also gain knowledge about NZ business culture and the workplace environment, improve their language and communication skills, gain confidence, get connected with Belong Aotearoa networks and can access their other programmes and services.

“In the course of volunteering, volunteers will have access to see the Employment Programme Coordinator for individualised consultations, coaching and mentoring.

We have volunteer positions in reception, communications and IT at Belong Aotearoa.”

Carnie took Arsenio on

as a volunteer Employment Project Assistant.

“She was responsible for adminJody Arsenio - Lecturer istration work, database manage- in my field to get a resiment, customer service, dence visa.” preparing work packs During her stint at and clients’ follow ups,” Belong Aotearoa she says Carnie. found part-time work as “The advantage of vol- an economics tutor in two unteer work was that it private training establishgave me confidence,” says ments (PTEs); this experiArsenio. “I was helping ence embellished her CV. migrants and doing office “Jody’s attitude was work with people from positive. She was outgodifferent cultural back- ing, proactive and professional in communication grounds.

“In the Philippines I and appearance,” says was doing administration Carnie. work, as we had our own “She is a team player, hardware and construc- has a willingness to learn tion business. I also and gave me more than taught economics for five what was expected and years at the University of required as a volunteer.

Santo Tomas and six She is also innovative.”

This glowing reference years at the Polytechnic University of the Philip- and New Zealand experipines. I had to find a job ence in administration at

Scam targeting visa holders continues Visa holders in New Zealand are being contacted by a person pretending to be from Immigration New Zealand.

They are demanding that money be sent to them in order to maintain or correct their immigration status in New Zealand. This is a scam.

Callers are posing as INZ staff and demanding payment from people to avoid deportation for various reasons,

including incorrectly completing an arrival card and a failed police check.

The scammers are using a technology known as the caller id spoofing scam that allows a legitimate phone number to appear when the call is actually being made from another number.

No matter how important the caller may sound, do not pay, report the call to the Police.

Belong Aotearoa plus teaching economics parttime helped her find a dream job.

Her role at Oxford International Academy was as an administration manager.

“I had a challenging job and it involved dealing with the Ministry of Education, Immigration New Zealand, Public Trust, doing other office work and attending to students' and tutors' needs. “I was also teaching economics part-time at the school.”

Jody told MN that it took about five and a half months to find part-time work and seven months for full time. She is delighted that she is working in her own field, as she was able to apply for a residence visa.

“On the same day I started my job, my husband also started his work in a Primary School.”

Editor: Jodie later moved to Palmerston North to join the high profile International Pacific College and subsequently moved on to other senior roles in the education field.

Immigration New Zealand would never make demands for money such as this over the phone.

How to recognise if the call is a scam.

The caller tells the person that there has been a problem with their visa or arrival card information.

They demand that they pay money into a Western Union account or face serious consequences, such as deportation.

Often the caller has some details of the person they are speaking to such as their name, date of birth or address, so the calls appear genuine.

Their caller ID comes up as 09 914 4100 or 0508 558 855.

- Supplied.

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ISSUE 07

BALITANG NZ

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The Government has announced new initiatives to help more New Zealanders into home ownership through its KiwiBuild reset.

“By making improvements to our build programme we can get more New Zealanders into warm, dry, secure homes whether they be public, rental or affordable KiwiBuild homes,” said Housing Minister Megan Woods.

The reset includes: • New ways for people to become home owners, such as shared-ownership schemes • Boosting supply by building more homes where evidence shows that they are needed • Letting friends and family join their $10,000 deposit assistance together • Reducing to 5% the deposit required for a government-backed mortgage • Reducing the amount developers receive for Suptriggering the govern-

set: e r d l i u B Kiwi

A glimmer of hope for home ownership?

ment underwrite rather than selling to KiwiBuild buyers “We will also be dropping the target of 100,000 houses over ten years. It was overly ambitious and led to contracts being signed in places where there was little first home buyer demand,” Megan Woods said.

“Instead of the target,

we will focus on building as many homes as we can, as fast as we can, in the right places. Each month we will release a dashboard of housing statistics, so New Zealanders can easily measure our progress.

“Homes in Te Kauwhata, Canterbury and Wanaka that haven’t sold will be released to the

Support fo ethnic communities after 15th March terror attacks

CHRISTCHURCH - The Government has announced a range of urgent measures to support ethnic communities affected by the 15 March terror attacks.

“The Ethnic Communities Development Fund, which supports initiatives that aim to improve New Zealand’s social cohesion and development of our ethnic communities, will receive an immediate uplift of $1 million,” says

Minister of Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa.

The Fund will give affected communities the power to develop and lead their own projects alongside other Government initiatives.

“The Office of Ethnic Communities, as conduit between the Government and ethnically diverse communities, will also receive funding for additional staff to provide better on the ground culturally appropri-

ate support to victims and families in Christchurch.

“In addition, I will co-host a series of meetings across the country with key Muslim leaders. This will be a national conversation involving Imams, Muslim women and Muslim youth.

It is important for me to ensure that our Muslim communities are involved and engaged in shaping the response to the terror attacks and the recovery process.

open market, allowing us to reuse the government capital to get more developments underway where there is clear demand.

“We will also be making changes to the Government underwrite, reducing the amount available for future developments so that developers are incentivised to sell to KiwiBuild first home buy“These conversations will be complemented by a series of interfaith dialogues that will bring together leaders from different faiths to discuss how we can work collectively to support an inclusive society.”

Editor: According to the Office of Ethnic Communities the funding round is now open. There is no closing date. It will remain open until the total amount available has been allocated.

Funding is applicable to projects started on or after 15 March 2019.

Free Outward Bound Course will push boundaries Applications are now open for fully funded scholarships to attend Outward Bound’s Southern Cross course.

Southern Cross is an award winning programme developed in con-

junction with the Human Rights Commission.

The 21-day course - from February 3rd to February 23rd 2020 - gives participants a chance to explore their cultural identity and how it impacts their every-

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day lives. As with every Outward Bound course, students will push their boundaries, make new friends and find the potential they’ve always had in them.

Pinoys are invited to

apply for this scholarship, which is valued at $4,435. https://www.outwardbound.co.nz/courses/southern-cross/

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ers instead of triggering the underwrite, which may be at a lower level.

“The Urban Development Authority, Kainga Ora – Homes and Commu-nities, will coordinate developments across New Zealand, making sure that we get a mix of public housing, market priced homes and KiwiBuild homes. We will

now target those homes to areas where there is a clearly identified demand and need. We will look for opportunities for build to rent with long term institutional investors through these developments.”

This reset of the build programme sits alongside other actions the Government has already taken to begin to address the housing crisis: • Banning overseas speculators from the market • Stopping the sell-off of state houses • reforming tenancy rules • Helping hundreds of homeless people get into a home with wrap around services, including addiction services and mental healthcare • Building record numbers of state and public houses • Starting off reform of the RMA

Auckland landlord ordered to pay $180k 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.

- RNZ

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Run a little faster, jump a little higher

By Abha Rao Coming to a new country is fairly disorienting for a new migrant. With a shaky grasp of English and an even shakier grasp of the local culture, they are strongly disadvantaged in the job market.

‘The Advanced Career Planning Workshop’ run

by Mel Fernandez at a Migrant Centre reached out to the disenfranchised newcomers and gave them a step into the employment world.

The seminar ran for 20 hours across four days, although participant interest often meant that it lastsed longer.

In the course of the seminar, participants were led through CV and cover letter writing, searching for jobs through various media sources, interview strategies, employment contracts, and even Kiwi English.

Participants come in jaded, tired, and losing hope, but by the end of the seminar, they are more confident and prepared to face the real world.

New Zealand has a shrinking labour force. A newspaper report pointed out that at one stage over 32,000 Kiwis left New Zealand each year, and about 21,000 new migrants came in. Given this disparity, why is it so difficult to find a job?

A native Kiwi takes, on average, three months to find a job ¬ this figure is exaggerated for mi-

A unique Job Search seminar template that eased new migrants into the employment world.

English, the new migrant needs to register with the local college or ESOL for classes. He or she also has to spend time outside talking with locals, and listening to the local radio and watching local television to try and improve their knowledge of English and its accent.

Another important, but often overlooked factor is presentation.

Proper presentation is essential - whether in the form of a CV or cover letter, a telephone conversation, or in the shape of an interview.

They all need to be clean, neat, confident, and without excess. They have to show that the applicant is all there, and perfect for the job. Not surprisingly, a large section of the seminar was devoted to this.

Participants saw slides of CVs and cover letters written by other people, and through discussion, decided what was and was not needed, such as age and residential status.

They need to have confidence when they answer the phone, and this confidence needs to be evident to the caller.

While New Zealand is a fairly informal society, it is imperative to dress formally for a prospective job, for a welldressed person shows preparedness.

grants. Part of the problem, is that the jobs generated are often in very specific fields, such as senior hairdressers or yacht riggers.

Employers spend only seven seconds looking at one application, and the key is New Zealand experience and English communication skills.

Applicants with little or no experience, or poor English skills, are dismissed summarily.

The NZ Experience issue is akin to the chicken and egg problem.

Without NZ experience, it seems impossible to get a job, but without a job, how does one go about gaining NZ experience?

A new migrant has to gain experience through a volunteer job although it is difficult for a new comer to spend a few months without pay, the eventual returns are well worth it. They can also work through a contractor or a temp agency.

As for improving continued on page 8

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ISSUE 07

IMMIGRATION

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New work visa rules create uncertainty for migrants…

OPINION:

By Aaron Martin Immigration lawyer Aaron Martin reviews the changes that the government has announced to the Employer assisted work visa and discusses the impact this will have for migrants.

Over the next 18 months, Immigration New Zealand will be making major changes to the way employers recruit migrants. Six of the different temporary work visa pathways will now be replaced with one.

Sounds simple? It’s not.

Immigration law practitioner Aaron Martin says the changes have created enormous uncertainty for current visa holders and those currently in the system. And, with scant details for how these changes will be operationalised, the situation is very much a game of ‘wait and see’.

“A lot of the disadvantages are simply that many people don’t know where they’re going to be in two years,” says Aaron. “It just adds to the uncertainty. It doesn’t make for a very settled life.”

New migrants are even more in the dark. Aaron says that the skill level requirements for visas may change,

continued from pg 7 A sensitive, but significant topic, is prejudice.

Kiwis are, in general, friendly people, but an unfortunate number are prejudiced against migrants.

They may mistake lack of English as lack of knowledge, or poorly accented English as stupidity. They may also be acting out of fear, or selfprotection of one’s jobs or interests. Some partici-

but currently nobody really knows because the Government “hasn’t invented the rules yet” and has just given a broad-brush description.

Aaron also says that the Immigration Minister’s claim that up to 30,000 businesses will benefit from the new changes is “ministerial spin” and seems a suspiciously convenient round figure.

“The Government hasn’t even released the criteria immigration officers will apply, or operationalised the policy,” he says. “So how can they know how many people will benefit from it?

You’ve got to treat this claim with suspicion when you consider that his government was elected on the basis of reducing migration.”

Arbitrary pay rates don’t reflect the value of a worker One major problem Aaron foresees with the changes is the issue of visa approval being tied to pay rates, regardless of factors such as location, revenue, and customer base. Wages reflect the negotiation between an employer and employee; they are not an answer to the question of how much skill is attached to the job.

Aaron says that using pay rates to assess skill level is “arbitrary, irrational nonsense.

“The amount an employee is paid doesn’t necessarily reflect their overall contextual value to the business, which includes factors such as location of the business, size of customer base, cost structure of the business, and demand and supply of the

skills within the local labour market.”

Aaron cites an example of a migrant who works as a manager of a restaurant in Westport. They may have far more contextual value to that business than, say, the manager of a restaurant in Auckland, simply because the context of the business operations is entirely different.

“A location with a limited customer base and potential cost restraints would struggle to find someone with the right talent and skills to ensure the business runs well,” he says. “Those factors make a person far more valuable to a role in Westport than to a role in Auckland, simply because Auckland has a far greater pool of employees and a bigger customer base. But you can bet the manager in Auckland will be paid more than the manager in Westport.”

Another example is the comparison between the wages of a hairdresser in Dunedin and a hairdresser in Mosgiel. Both might have the same skill level but depending on how many cents one is paid above or below the median wage, one might be considered highskilled and the other lowskilled.

The impact for different industries At present, it’s difficult to gauge just how different industries will be affected.

For many, it will be a waiting game.

Nurses who were hoping to attain residency by being employed by a DHB that

was accredited will now be out of luck if they’re not being paid $79,560 per annum.

Many employees across New Zealand who had an option of seeking employment with accredited employers and getting residence are now in the tricky position of hoping that Immigration New Zealand will assess their jobs as at least skill level 1-3 in order to get residency under the Skilled Migrant Category.

“Some of these people might fall into a hole depending on how Immigration New Zealand considers their jobs are skilled according to the residence points system,” says Aaron.

“If you’re in a salary or wage bracket between $52,000 and $79,560, it’s doubtful whether you will have any pathway to residence at all.”

So, what’s the future looking like for migrants?

The impact on the migrant population could be “quite a blow”. Many people no longer have the option of trying to get employment with accredited employers unless they’re paid $79,560 per annum. It’s also unclear how an employer who can’t get accredited will be able to renew their workers’ visas, let alone secure the residence.

“My guess is that not even the bureaucrats know the answers,” says Aaron.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions around this process and where it’s going to go.”

One thing Aaron does predict, however, is a reduction

in those who can get residency. It is clear the Government wants to force a large number of people who had previously been gaining residence through the work-toresidence/residence-fromwork programmes to utilise the Skilled Migrant Residence Category.

“I don’t think we will see a corresponding increase in the number of people able to get residency under the skilled migrant category,” says Aaron.

“Applying for residence through that process is extremely uncertain, with a significant number of casualties when Immigration New Zealand decides the skill level of a person’s job – often it is assessed as a lowskilled work, despite the person having a work visa that says they are mid-skilled.”

Employers are now expected to train up their local labour pool, but how realistic is this?

The expectation for employers to become ‘trainers’ of local unskilled applicants is problematic in itself – and could have major implications for New Zealand’s future. Aaron says the Government and Immigration New Zealand have “grossly overestimated” the volume of competent, willing people currently in the unemployment queue available for these job opportunities.

“Training those people to the level of skill of the migrant workers who are going to be forced out is going to take a lot longer than 2021,” he says. “The Labour Government may

Run a little faster, jump a little higher pants also believed that their dark skin worked against them.

Since changes in attitude take a long time; the best that one can do is to show their friendly face to society. This may convince any potential employer that your position is non-threatening, and even advantageous.

The seminar, however, was not as much lecturing

as participation. All the participants actively involved themselves in discussions and exercises, and all of them liked the interactive nature of the seminar.

The participants had to complete assignments such as completing their CV or contact list, by searching through various sources for jobs. Each participant was given

individual feedback on their exercises and provided contact names and numbers by the director of the program. Practical concerns like the Employment Relations Act of 2000 and minimum wages were also discussed.

On the last day a little Maori culture was shared with them.

The success of the semi-

nar was evident from the fact that all the participants voluntarily stayed longer than was required.

In feedback forms, all of the participants rated the seminar as very useful, and recommended it to other migrants. The seminar was about finding a job, but it was not just about finding a job.

Only one person found a job within those four

have just created a significant potential for a skill shortage that will impede economic growth. Undersupply in the labour market will hamper our ability to complete infrastructure and employers’ ability to grow and develop their businesses.”

What to do if you’re a migrant affected by these changes Aaron says, don’t wait for the changes. “If you have the ability to get residency in any way, shape, or form, do it now.”

Key points: - Current Accredited Employers must pay their migrant employees a salary of $79,560 or greater for a 40-hour week if the employee is wishing to transition to residence through their Work to Residence. This is an increase from $55,000 per annum.

Migrants currently holding a Work to Residence visa or who have applied for this visa before 7 October 2019 – and are on a salary of $55,000 – will not be affected. They can still apply for residence after holding this visa for 24 months with an accredited employer.

- After 2020, Immigration New Zealand will assess job offers based on pay rates compared with the median wage. Jobs paying less than $52,000 per annum for a 40hour week will be regarded as ‘low-skilled work’.

- High-skilled workers will have to earn over 200% of the median wage – currently, that would mean being paid $104,000 – to apply for residence after they have worked in New Zealand for two years.

days, but everyone was given confidence and faith in their abilities, strategies to overcome obstacles, hope to find the perfect job, and a few laughs.

Editor: The organiser claims that currently about 70% of participants found a job or were selfemployed within three months of attending the seminar; others went for further training or opted to be homemakers.

ISSUE 07

SETTLING IN NZ

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Helping the migrant in a sea of uncertainty

our kabayan long after the incidents. But equally terrible, due to the suddenness and unexpectedness of the events, were the loss of lives, jobs and

Opinion

By NOEL BAUTISTA

I magine getting involved in a car-and-train accident, less than a month after you arrive in New Zealand.

INSURANCE SEMINAR organised by the Good Heart PH-NZ Foundation in partnership with the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Consulate in Auckland.

Imagine suffering a brain aneurysm as a new OFW in this country.

Or imagine falling from scaffolding while hard at work a few days into your job, despite all the health and safety precautions that were taken.

Now imagine having no protection at all against the health and financial (and other) consequences of these terrible events.

Knock on wood and God forbid, we hope and pray these things won’t happen to us. And God willing, they probably never will.

But believe it or not, to an unlucky few of our

kabayan, those exact misfortunes described above happened to them when they were barely getting their feet wet, or were still getting the shoe-polish aroma out of their shiny new work boots.

The effects of these accidents and health episodes were profound and long lasting, affecting the lives, careers and families of

incomes to our fellow OFWs and migrants; things that will never be replaced.

Which is why, even on the cusp of a new life abroad and with your dreams almost within reach, OFWs and new migrants alike are constantly advised to protect against uncertainty and plan for the future. And

the best way to do this, according to experienced and expert kabayan advisers in New Zealand, is to purchase insurance.

At an insurance forum organised by a new Pinoy initiative, the Good Heart PH-NZ Foundation, experts and insurers from different areas of insurance expertise spoke before an audience of new migrants and OFWs, not to sell their products but to explain the whys and hows of insurance protection in New Zealand.

For instance, the health insurance speaker, Bobby Chua of Peak Insurance, informed us that because the population pressure on the public health sector increases by 40,000 per year (from migration alone), delays in receiving badly needed health services are becoming a problem.

Ordinary, non lifethreatening surgery might require anywhere between six months to one year of waiting. continued on pg 10

A community focus drives success for AIL. A D V E R TO R I A L A focus on community service initiatives accounts for the unparalleled success of A m e r i c a n I n s u r a n c e L i f e ( A I L ) in New Zealand.

According to S t e v e F r i e d l a n d e r , Managing Director of AIL of New Z e a l a n d L t d , who has been contracted to AIL for the past 40 years, two of the company’s no cost programs have been very well received by community groups and labour unions and are driving the success of its other insurance products for these sectors.

The flagship community service promotion of the company is providing a N O - C O S T C h i l d S a f e K i t for the children or grand-children of parents who are members of the aforementioned preferred groups.

The Child Safety Kit is packed with vital information that can save and protect children if they go missing. In fact, parents can text a copy of the Kit to authorities to speed up rescue efforts, as time is of the essence in these situations.

According to Friedlander, an equally important offering for members of community groups and unions is a NO-COST loyalty benefit: a $ 2 , 0 0 0 A c c i d e n t a l D e a t h a n d D i s m e m b e r m e n t B e n e f i t (one each for husband and wife) for which no medical questions will be asked. This gift certificate of cover is complementary for the first year and renewable for just $2 a year. (But one is not com-

pelled to carry on after the first year.)

Last but not least is a ‘ F u n e r a l a r r a n g e ments form’ (AIL Family Information G u i d e ) which clients of AIL can fill in so that any pay-out to beneficiaries for their choices of their funeral arrangements can be dealt with expeditiously either in New Zealand or overseas. Instructions for repatriation back to the Philippines can be spelled out in advance so the surviving members of the family will be able to handle arrangements with less stress and can know what to arrange with the appropriate funeral homes.

AIL was established in New Zealand 25 years ago after a holiday from the USA was the inspiration to move here and is proud of its 'A+ Superior' rating from A.M. Best Company.

“Currently it is the largest provider of supplemental insurance to labour unions, credit unions and associations in New Zealand,” says Friedlander.

He adds that AIL is the official insurance provider to members of G r e y P o w e r and 90% of all trade unions and many credit

unions. For the last five years AIL has been the official insurance company for the Federation of Filipino Associations, S o c i e t i e s a n d C l u b s in New Zealand and the rest of its chapters. Many of the families that are signing up are from recommendations by group families as according to Friedlander 'word of mouth' is still the very best form of advertising.

AIL provides affordable insurance cover and special arrangements can be made to pay the premiums weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Its products can be customized for Filipino families with worldwide coverage across all occupations. He adds that unlike some other companies AIL does not charge increased premiums for occupational risk - office-based staff and those working on building sites pay the same premiums.

AIL offers Lii f e I n s u r a n c e , F u n e r a l C o v e r , A c c i d e n t C o v e r a g e and C a n c e r P r o t e c t i o n policies. Steve Friedlander points out that any payouts of benefits for injury is in addition to what employees are entitled to

from ACC. All Filipinos living in New Zealand are being invited to take advantage of AIL’s no-cost community service products like the C h i l d S a f e K i t and the $ 2 , 0 0 0 A c c i d e n t a l D e a t h a n d D i s m e m b e r m e n t B e n e f i t if they are members of Filipino community groups.

In addition, readers of Filipino Migrant News (FMN) are also being invited to text F M N to 9 8 8 7 for details on how to receive the aforementioned no-cost community service offerings from AIL. AIL is a sponsor of the F i l i p i n o R e u n i o n event in October in Hamilton. Readers of FMN are invited to meet representatives of the company who will be present at the show. Please mention that you read about AIL’s special promotions in Filipino Migrant News.

Text supplied.

AIL of New Zealand Ltd Tel: 0800-894-121 www.ailnz.co.nz

DISCLAIMER: Filipino Migrant News does not receive a commision for any policies taken up with AIL. Please practice due diligence when entering into any financial arrangements.

10

ISSUE 07

SETTLING IN NZ

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Understand insurance, especially if you are a migrant on work or resident visa!

• What is insurance for repatriation?

• Should you get a medical insurance?

• What is life, trauma and total disability cover for?

• Why and what should you insure?

• How can you provide for your family back home?

Romy Udanga, MBA, MF Director and Insurance Adviser 021-222-8157 romyudanga@gmail.com

• What benefits can you get from ACC and the public health system?

• What insurance should you get if you are buying a house?

Call or txt Romy to answer your questions!

It’s FREE!

Protecting you and those who depend on you!

Demand a refund for mis-sold insurance, Consumer NZ says Consumer NZ is advising car buyers who have been mis-sold mecha-nical breakdown insurance to demand a refund.

Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said that the insurance was heavily promoted by car dealers and could add more than $1000 to a vehicle's purchase price.

But she said that the cover was hardly worth having and complaints showed that the insurance continued to be sold with misleading claims about the protection it provided.

Comedian Raybon Kan, a Consumer NZ member, was sold the insurance by Palmerston North car dealer Lee European. The dealer claimed that the policy would cover faults with the vehicle’s air-conditioning and transmission, which a pre-purchase inspection had indicated might require repair.

However, the dealer not only failed to provide a copy of the policy, but it also didn’t tell Mr Kan that the insurance excluded preexisting faults and that he wouldn’t be able to claim on

continued from pg 09

Bone surgery or those more urgent (but still not life threatening) surgeries could require a two to sixmonth waiting period.

There have been cases of patients dying a day before their scheduled surgery.

The best way to lower

it if the air-conditioning or transmission problems turned into a major expense.

Mr Kan successfully took Lee European to the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal, which ordered the dealer to pay $2000 for the insurance and $2200 for subsequent repairs to the air-conditioning system.

“Dealers claim that the insurance will protect you if vehicle parts suddenly fail and need repair. But the policies typically have long lists of problems that aren’t covered, including any preexisting faults with the car and anything deemed the result of faulty repairs,” Ms Chetwin said.

“Car buyers already have protection under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) and don’t need to rely on mechanical breakdown insurance,” she said.

“If a car dealer sells a vehicle that’s not of acceptable quality, then it has a legal obligation to sort out the problem.”

Ms Chetwin said that you’ve got grounds to request a refund if: • You were misled about what the insurance policy

the risk of aggravating health problems because of undue waiting, would be to purchase health insurance, available to anyone who has held at least a work visa for the last two years.

Funeral insurance also helps prevent the double tragedy of first, the loss of life and second, the prob-

c o v ered.

F o r example, you w e r e t o l d that it c o v Raybon Kan ered all faults with the vehicle.

• You were told that the insurance was compulsory.

• Insurance was added to your car loan without your knowledge.

• You were sold insurance, but never received a copy of the policy.

• You were misled about your rights under the CGA. For example, the dealer claimed that you needed the insurance if you wanted cover for faults.

Ms Chetwin said that car dealers were keen to promote mechanical breakdown insurance because they stood to earn a commission on each policy sold.

“In our view, this insurance isn’t worth the cost.

You’re better off spending your money on a pre-purchase inspection and getting the vehicle regularly serviced after you buy it.”

lem of returning the deceased’s remains to the Philippines.

Good if your parents are wealthy and can afford to spend at least NZ$20,000 on shipping the remains home, but the overwhelming majority of our Filipinos do not have this luxury, according to Romy Udanga, financial

planner and specialist.

His Excellency Ambassador Gary Domingo also pointed out that the Philippine Embassy cannot be expected to be a source of funds every time tragedy befalls our Pinoy brethren, as it is not a mandate of the Embassy to provide such.

Insurance protection

therefore becomes just as important to the migrant as basic needs like food, clothing and shelter.

So the next time you sit down and make serious planning, please remember our kabayan who suffered serious accidents, not just for the sacrifices they and their families continue to make, but for

the examples they set.

Migrant life is full of surprises, but we needn’t face them unprepared.

ISSUE 07

SETTLING IN NZ

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www.pinoynzlife.nz : The South Island’s leading Filipino Community Newspaper since 2016

Why should you ensure you’re insured?

In New Zealand Kiwis tend to take out an insurance policy to cover themselves against financial loss as a result of death, fire, theft, sickness, job loss and the like as a matter of course.

For a new migrant to the country the necessity of getting insurance cover may not rank so highly on their ‘must do list’. Until, of course, something untoward occurs and they are left stranded without protection.

So why are migrants inadequately protected against financial loss?

Rowena Sabdao a professional in her field, gave us a few clues as to why this is so.

FMN: In the Philippines we don’t really buy insurance, right?

ROWENA: Yes, because it is expensive over there.

But over here, because we have term insurance, which means that you are covered as soon as you pay the premiums, it’s cheaper to buy insurance.

You can pay for your insurance premiums in one lump sum annually, monthly

ADVERTORIAL New Zealand is one of the few places that has a government backed Accident Insurance p r ogramme. Even if you are a casual visitor to NZ and you have an accident related injury, ACC will pick up the tab. There is no c o s t t o y o u o r y o u r i n s u rer, be it travel insurance or health Insurance.

T h i s i s o n e o f t h e r e asons that Health Insurance in NZ is so much cheaper than (say) Australia or the USA where there is no ACC. Other than that, if you have a medical emergency in NZ (say a heart attack) and you do not have Inbound Travel Insurance or Private Medical I n s u r a n c e t h e n t h e N Z s y stem will still treat you.

But then they will send you the bill and that can b e i n t h e t e n s o r e v e n h u nd r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f d o llars.

To have NZ based Medical Insurance you must be eligible for free NZ treatment by the Public Health System

instead of just offering them insurance to cover the mortgage we actually do a full loan profiling (assessment of income, expenditure, bank loans, dependents, residency status etc.) for our client. This way we can offer them a whole lot more cover besides mortgage cover.

For example we can provide cover for a lot of things, right up to the education costs of the last child who will go to college. What’s required is really a good loan profiling and insurance profiling for the client.

Editor – This series on the various types of insurance policies – health, home and contents, income protection, travel insurance etc. - continues in forthcoming editions.

or even weekly. Please note that in the case of students and work permit holders the term of the insurance will be dependent on the length of time they are allowed to stay in the country.

FMN: Could you give us a scenario where insurance cover could have helped?

ROWENA: I’ve known a family that believed that

they were fully insured until the sudden death of the husband.

He was earning about $80,000 a year, but he didn’t have any insurance. The stress that the wife suffered was huge. She’s still struggling.

My role is to let people know the importance of having good insurance policies

in place and to familiarize them with products in the market that are affordable.

FMN: Is insurance an expense we should factor into our family budgets?

ROWENA: Buying insurance is not an expense – it’s really an investment in a way … because all of us will die sooner or later and having a good life insurance

until you have it arranged.

Fortunately, most Travel Insurances have this cover as part o f t h e i r s t a ndard Policy Wording.

However, what if you have a long term Visa (over 2 years) and standard Medical Insurance?

Only one of these has t h e o p t i o n t o a d d r e p a t r i ation cover to the policy and this can in many cases b e d o n e f r e e o f a n y a d d itional costs.

W h e n l o o k i n g a t r e p a t r iation cover it is important to ensure that the policy wording has been approved by POLO.

Medical Care, Insurance and your Visa This means that you must have a Visa that is valid for more than 2 years at the time you get it.

Anyone with Visa totalling less than 2 years w i l l n o t b e e l i g i b l e f o r p u blic health funding so travel insurance is the choice to cover medical expenses.

The Visa needs to be exactly two X 365 days to b e e l i g i b l e f o r p r o p e r m e dical insurance and eligibile for hospital stays.

For Visas with a shorter term you will need Inbound Travel Insurance that is tailored to your Visa. A S t u d e n t V i s a w i l l h a v e d i fferent requirements and costs than a work Visa.

These policies can, of course, also cover you for your personal belongings

Under the new POLO requirements all Filipino Citizens travelling on any Visa are required to have cover to return their remains in the event of their death. This is referred to as a Repatriation Clause. If you return to visit the Philippines during your stay and cannot satisfy this clause then they will prevent your return to NZ

Where your best insurance is a damn good broker.

policy in place will give your family peace of mind during the most trying times.

For example, you could pay off your mortgage and other financial commitments and still leave something for your family to replace the loss of income to the household.

Likewise, many of my clients have mortgages. So

PHOTO (left) :Speakers at the insurance forum sponsored by Good Heart PH-NZ Foundation and the Philippine Embassy: (from left, back) Bobby Chua, Eddie Katigbak, Ambassador Jesus Gary Domingo, Ulrike Yukei and Romy Udanga. (from left, front) Dennis Panes Magcalas, Alicat Lozano Edgar, Cora SitchonLaquindanum, Lani Larsen, Mary Ann Guiao and Steven Friedman.

Bobby Chua, Senior Adviser bobby@ peakfinancial.co.nz 021 239 5335

Ulrike Balanon RFA ulrike@ peakfinancial.co.nz 021 025 28759

Richard Alonso RFA richard@ peakfinancial.co.nz 021 161 0229

https://www.facebook.com/ peakfinancialservices/ www.peakfinancial.co.nz

1 2 EVENT REPORT

BUHAY NZ

ISSUE 07

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The pageant season is alive, well and in revival mode

Mrs Universe New Zealand 2019 pageant contestants from left: Christine Alcoseba, Carmela Evora Laylo, Jennet de las Penas-Dixon and Aileen Dela Rosa with Jazz Vidamo - the Opera Princess. Photo credit: Facebook page of pageant contestants.

OPINYON

By MEL FERNANDEZ AUCKLAND – Just when you thought that things had quietened down a bit, along comes a new lot of pageants to cater to a sector of society that seems to have a penchant for pageantry.

And the variety of pageants that have been dreamt up worldwide for pageant lovers is just mind-boggling.

Now there are pageants for just about everyone – from the very young to the not so young.

So kids, teenagers, young men and women,

mothers and even grandmas are welcome to parade around with gay abandon at their respective beauty pageants.

At one stage beauty pageants had copped a bit of bad press – they were viewed as politically incorrect due to the focus on beauty and the requirement for females to prance around in swimwear.

But some enlightened pageant organisers have veered away from this obsession to celebrate inner beauty and goodheartedness.

I was in conversation recently with a group of

pageant aficionados at a fundraiser for ‘Shine’ – a national domestic abuse charity – and surprisingly, it was the general consensus that there were far too many pageants around in New Zealand.

By the way, this particular group of pageant goers were attending a benefit concert titled ‘Sounds of Aroha’ featuring talented young singers, including our very own Jazz Vidamo, the Filipino Opera Princess.

The event was organised by Aileen Dela Rosa, a contestant in the Mrs Universe New Zealand

pageant. The three other Filipinas participating in the pageant are Carmela Evora Laylo, Christine Alcoseba and Jennet de Las Penas-Dizon - and each has organised a charity event in their patch.

Carmela Evora Laylo from Palmerston North organised a Brunch with Charm on 14th

September to raise funds for Save the Children NZ. Christine Alcoseba held a fundraising Tea Party in Orewa for KidsCan (supporting disadvantaged Kiwi kids).

And Jennet de Las Penas-Dizon organised a Salo Salo night (Disco and Videoke) in Lower Hutt on 31st August to raise funds for the Women’s

Editor: We welcome press invites to cover your community event. Or you can forward a report of the event with photographs to: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz

JAZZ VIDAMO

2019

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By GLADYS PINTO KAWIT, Cavite – Cavite is gradually boosting the food and beverage industry on top of its manufacturing hub, leveraging its "most populous" status to high consumption in retail services as among the top drivers of the province’s economy.

“Given this direction, the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) stepped in to help promote not just Cavite’s rich historical past, but its various gastronomical treasures and what makes Cavite unique for the palates of the food-loving public,” PTCAO officer-in-charge Rozelle Sangalang said recently.

To position the province as the emerging food destination in southern Luzon, PTCAO embarked on a series of activities “to revolutionise traditional Cavite dishes and delicacies”, through its 'A Taste of Cavite: An appreciation of Cavite’s Old Cuisines'.

The undertaking aims to make professional chefs and culinary teachers and their students, aware of, appreciate and come up with innovative approaches on how to promote and showcase Cavite’s cultural history of local cuisines, "but without losing its authenticity”, Sangalang said.

These activities include workshops and cooking demonstrations with Razor Philippines Executive Chef and 'Punong Heneral' of Cavite’s

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Culinary Generals, Chef Christopher G. Carangian, and culminate in a 'culinary tour' to showcase some of Cavite’s f a m o u s cuisines and dishes.

The tour had its initial run on December 14 last year, where it showcased famous, heirloom cuisines in the municipalities of Kawit, Tanza and Amadeo, as well as in the cities of Imus and Tagaytay.

Aside from satisfying one's palate, the tour offers snippets of history and traditions and reflects some traits of the towns and their people with the way they prepare and share their famous dishes.

The first stop, where the province’s greatness is rooted, is the historic Kawit town.

Chef Michelle Ortega taught the participants not just how to cook the favourite dish of General Aguinaldo, but highlighted what makes it unique compared to other Cavite towns' versions.

Kawit’s 'adobong dilaw' uses turmeric

Cavite

not fish) and they use available local products.

For the m a i n course, the owners of this nearly century-old house prep a r e d 'kalandrakas’ - a mix of vegetables, whatever is available in the surrounding area like legumes, sweet potatoes and the 'heart' or the flower bud of a banana mixed with noodles.

The dish earned its name from the old tradition where money is not the help, contribution you give to the dead, but whatever you harvest.

The other food choices included 'kaldereta', an heirloom recipe which forms part of the establishment’s Spanish specialities.

Its large cut was due to the absence of refrigerators in the past, where all the ingredients were cooked at the same time and the remaining pieces were shared with the neighbours.

There was also crunchy pork 'binagoongan' (pork laced with shrimp paste),

on a plate An emerging food destination south of Manila “because of its therapeutic features”, unlike the 'achiote' or Annato seeds an orange-red condiment and food colouring used not just to impart a yellow or orange colour to foods, but sometimes also for its flavour and aroma - used by the other Cavite towns.

A buffet of toclongganisa from Imus City’s Toclong 1st MultiPurpose Cooperative came next, where preparations using old recipes passed on from generation to generation were featured.

Imus City’s longganisa uses no vinegar, but has

garlic and has a similarity although it is more intensely flavoured than the Hungarian sausage.

Lunch was at Casa Real in Tanza town where guests partook of the Spanish-Filipino cuisine.

This location was chosen as they serve Caviteño cuisines where ingredients are sourced from what is available in the locality.

The appetiser is dried pusit (squid) with tamarind sauce and 'patis tanza' (as Tanza is a coastal town, their patis or salty sauce version is made of alamang or shrimp and

tokwa (soya bean) 'sisig' (a Filipino dish made of minced pork, chopped onions and chicken liver) for the health conscious, Paella (which uses squid, due to the coastal features of Tanza) and lemon ginger mint for refreshment.

A tour of Cavite is not complete without visiting Amadeo town, the coffee capital of the Philippines and famous for its Pahimis festival.

The last stop is at Amira’s in Tagaytay City, famous for its 'buko' (fleshy coconut) pie.

The PTCAO is set to engage more stakeholders for events like this, to ensure that the traditional cuisines are promoted, preserved, yet adapted to the changing palates of food lovers.

Cavite, located on the Southern shores of Manila bay, abounds not just with historic sites and landmarks - being home to a number of Filipino heroes - but also offers a wide range of food specialities to satisfy one's taste buds. (PNA) TRAVEL FOOD: Filipino food reviews and events at: www. halohalo.nz and South East Asian destination and cultural food reports at: www. travelgalore.nz Do you have a travel tale to tell? Or travel videos / photos you’d like to share with our readers?

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Whistleblowers. Journalists. Unionists. Migrant Advocacy Groups.

And countless other Filipino-Kiwi Heroes.

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Over a 100 Filipino-Kiwi heroes honoured to date

14

ISSUE 07

TOURISM

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By Sarwell Meniano & Roel Amazona BURAUEN, Leyte – With extensive promotion and the backing of experts, this town is off to a good start in its goal to market the area as the springs capital of Leyte.

The local government has been consulting with industry experts on how to develop the town’s ecotourism sites in a sustainable manner.

In an interview, town Mayor Juanito Renomeron said that with the limitations of the local government they have been seeking assistance from experts and advocates on how to carry out the Burauen Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism (BEST) project.

“We are embarking on something new to us, yet we are aware that this is something that will help improve our economy. We have to recognize the need to develop tourism as a way to improve the lives of people,” Renomeron said.

The mayor noted that many tourists have been coming to their town to visit cold spring resorts,

what’s unique in the mountains of Leyte.

“This is a very good step forward for everyone to recognize that they will be able to see something different in the heart of Leyte. We are happy to work with Burauen to strengthen sustainable tourism activities and protect Burauen’s biodiversity,” Lim told summit participants.

Gabor, in her message, lauded the local government for allowing local stores instead of big Lake Malagsum, within the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park in Burauen, Leyte, chains to flourish. is one of the natural tourism assets in this town. (Photo credit: Burauen local government) “I was touched to especially during sunny ment and promotion of tainability is the heart of see stores selling local days, but a lot of work has Bojo River in Aloguinsan, the program. products unique to to be done to develop Cebu.

“With eco-tourism visi- Burauen. Tourists will nature tourism.

On August 2 experts tors are looking for new come here not to buy sou“The town has many came to the town for the and exciting places and venirs and taste the food potential areas for eco- first ever tourism summit they want to connect with available in big cities, but tourism since we have been to share market develop- nature. We are here to sup- to get something that they gifted with a lot of cold ment, heritage, civil society port and we’ll be coming have not seen in other springs. We hired a team of and private sector partner- again to experience places,” she said. consultants to help us with ship, farm tourism and tourism first hand,” she Renomeron said that the our effort in the next two conservation. said. local government initially years,” he added.

Taus said that these Lim, meanwhile, said identified eco-tourism sites The team is headed by efforts put Burauen town that through sustainable in the villages of Matinao, Joselito Costas, founder of ahead of other local gov- tourism and promotion Tambis, Villa Rosas, Grassroots Travel, the ernment units in the coun- efforts more people would Abuyogon, Cansiboy and group behind the develop- try, especially because sus- be interested in seeing Kagbana.

Leyte town counts on springs to boost tourism

Ethno-tourism meets adventure in ‘Diversity’

QUEZON CITY Travelling is one of the things that interest millennials today, but not the leisurely type of travel.

They are now on the lookout for the authentic and experience-filled type of travel.

In the article 'Millennial travellers look for adventure, experience' published in USA Today social media coordinator Megan Janicke said that, “exploring other cultures, learning about everyday life in another country and meeting locals and increasing ones knowledge about others and oneself” are some of the top reasons why millennials want to travel.

This experience is known as Ethno-tourism, where

Buckle up for a different travel experience in one of the Philippines’ culture and history-rich provinces, Tarlac, in 'Diversity' seen via TFC Online. as well as appreciating the spectacular tourist spots of the country, one also gets a deeper understanding of the country’s culture by experiencing the locals’ way of living - an experience that the TFC Digital Short, ‘Diversity’, hopes to bring to its audiences.

“They say that experience is the best teacher. So we looked for foreign exchange students from different universities

around Metro Manila who are up for some adventure and interested to know more about the Philippines by experiencing its culture,” said ABS-CBN Global Content Head Ned Legaspi.

Making the cut are foreign exchange students Lydia from Indonesia, JY from South Korea and Santi from Spain. Besides coming from different countries, one thing that Lydia, JY, and Santi have in common is their limited knowledge about Filipinos, who they mingle with every day at their respective universities.

Through the show, 'Diversity', they get a oneof-a-kind experience and learn about the Filipino culture as they are immersed into the Aeta community during their recent visit to Tarlac. The Aeta are believed to be one of the first groups of

indigenous people who inhabited the Philippines and are identified by their dark complexion and kinky hair.

“We hope that through this show we can encourage more foreign nationals not just to bask in the beauty of our country, but

These areas are seen as an addition to Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park, a site proclaimed as a national park in 1937. The site is endowed with other natural attractions – a lake, falls, multi-coloured mud, virgin forests and a lagoon. Mahagnao, which has been drawing natureloving tourists, is 18 kilometres away from the Burauen town centre.

Burauen is derived from the word 'Burabod', which means 'spring'.

The town is known as the fountainhead of several rivers - the big Daguitan and Marabong rivers and the Guinarona and Hibuga rivers that pass through several neighbouring towns, as well as several smaller rivers.

The town, with a land area of over 30,000 hectares divided into 77 villages, has its own water system.

From Tacloban City, where the airport is located, the site is an hour long trip by land of about 50kilometres. The town is situated in the central part of Leyte Island, near to two cities and eight other towns. (PNA) also to have an appreciation of the rich culture of the Filipinos,” Legaspi stated.

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Filipina nun among the Catholic Church’s new Venerable An Independence Day blessing Nearly ten years since the cause for the canonization of Maria Beatriz Rosario Arroyo, OP, was launched, finally the Vatican declared this founder of a Filipina-run Dominican congregation as Venerable.

Pope Francis approved the promulgation of decrees for eight causes of canonization, including that of Arroyo, from Prefect Cardinal Angelo Becciu of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Approved were the heroic virtues of Arroyo (or Rosario of the Visitation), co-founder of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines. She was born in the district of Molo in Iloilo City on February 17, 1884. She

died at age 73 on June 14, 1957.

The declaration of Arroyo as Venerable follows that of 17-year-old Darwin Ramos as Servant of God, issued by Becciu last May 31. Ramos’ cause was advanced by the Diocese of Cubao in Metro Manila. Servant of God is the first of four steps for a candidate for sainthood to be elevated to the Altar of Saints. It is a term associated with people who were said to be pious in the Catholic faith. The title Servant of God meant that the person’s life is deemed worthy for consideration for sainthood.

Those given the title Servant of God were stamped with nihil obstat (meaning nothing hinders). The next step is for

a candidate to be declared Ve n e r a b l e .

Parties to such candidacies must provide evidence of the heroic virtues of their candidates through collected documents and personal tes- Venerable Maria Beatriz Rosario Arroyo timonies.

A candidate is beatified intercession.

Venerable Arroyo is as Blessed (the third step) when one miracle is said to be the grand-aunt proven through the candi- of former First date’s intercession, in Gentleman Jose Miguel addition to the recogni- Arroyo, the husband of tion of heroic virtue or ex-President Gloria martyrdom. Finally, the Macapagal-Arroyo.

Accounts say that candidate is called a Saint through canonization, Maria Beatriz was chriswith a second miracle tened as 'Maria Beatriz required to be proven del Rosario' at the Sta. through the candidate’s Ana Church in Molo on

By JEREMAIAH OPINIANO The Filipino Connection February 20, 1884.

Beatriz was said to frequently participate in corporal works of mercy since she was young, amid being part of an affluent family.

She attended elementary school at Colegio de Sta. Ana and then finished at the Colegio de San Jose (administered by the Daughters of Charity, and where Beatriz received her first communion). She then joined the religious life in the Beaterio de Sta. Catalina in Manila, professing her vows on January 3, 1914. She then became a Dominican nun.

Beatriz and two other Dominican sisters cofounded a Filipino-run congregation called the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary on February 18, 1927.

Beatriz was elected as the congregation’s first Superioress-General during the group’s First General Chapter (or assembly) on January 3-6, 1953. Beatriz served the congregation for 32 years.

The congregation, says its Facebook page, currently has over 250 professed sisters. It runs numerous schools and colleges, clinics, orphanages, retreat houses and several missions abroad. The congregation is present in the archdioceses of Capiz, Jaro and Manila and in the dioceses of Bacolod, Imus, Mati, San Jose de Antique and Tagum. The congregation also has communities of sisters in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Kenya, Italy and the United States.

On July 28, 2009, Archbishop of Jaro Angel Lagdameo, DD, initiated the diocesan process for Beatriz’s cause for sainthood. This cause officially began on October 7, 2009, at St. Anne Parish Church in Molo.

Arroyo joins five other venerables whose causes for sainthood were lobbied for from the Philippines.

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