AKLnzPinoys sa Diaryo Filipino

Yan po ang frontpage ngayon sa Diaryo Filipino. Isang local newspaper para sa mga Pinoy na naninirahan dito sa New Zealand. At eto naman sa baba ang writeup ng diaryo tungkol sa AKLnzPinoys. Big thank you to J and N Gregorio for this article and their continuous support for the group and the Pinoy community.

As reported by Diaryo Pilipino

Welcome Home! The egroup AKLnzPINOYS held its fourth get together last October 1 at the St George Presbyterian Hall in Takapuna. Around 300 people were in attendance and majority comprises new arrivals in the last few months. A true evidence that the Filipino community is rapidly growing as NZ is becoming a preferred place of diaspora.

The egroup was formed by a group of Filipinos whose desire as mentioned in their website is to help kababayans here and coming to Auckland meet old and new friends, expand one's networking, compare notes and share experiences on job seeking, settlement, visa processing, etc... so new comers will always be on track.

What is admirable in the group is that they have no official set of officers, no policies and procedures and yet they can still have the job done in true "bayanihan" spirit.

Kudos goes to the moderators who made this group very successful - Jun Dolon, Ervin Lllacuna, Carlo Jaminola, Ka Uro, Beah Ulama, special mention to Jesse Enriquez. And lastly to the new Pinoy/Kiwi we say: WELCOME HOME!

Filipina in need of Help here in Auckland

Last week may natanggap akong email with the above title. According to the email may isang Filipina ang na-confined sa Auckland Hospital at na-diagnose na may terminal cancer. Pero thanks to God, later napag-alaman na hindi naman pala terminal cancer.

Binisita namin ni esmi yung kababayan nating Pinay sa ospital last Thursday. Ang nangyari pala biglang may lumaking tumor sa tiyan nung Pinay. Pagkatapos i-scan at i-ultra sound, ang initial findings ng doctor, cervical cancer at malala na. Pero pagkatapos siyang operahan at tanggalin yung tumor, healthy naman ang kanyang ovaries. Sa madaling sabi hindi naman talaga sure kung cancer. Right now hinihintay pa ang resulta ng biopsy para ma-confirm kung may cancer nga o wala.

Very depressing ang mga pangyayari sa buhay ng kababayan nating ito. Talk of a string of bad lucks. Una, maaga siyang nabiyuda. Namatay ang asawa niya pagkapanganak ng kanilang second child. Kaya siya na lang ang naiwan para mag-alaga sa dalawa nilang anak na pito at siyam na taong gulang lamang.

Dahil nagiisa na siya at hindi na sapat ang kinikita bilang ordinaryong empleyado sa gobyerno naisipan niyang mangibang bansa. Lumapit siya sa isang immigration consulting agency sa Pilipinas na nag-specialize sa NZ. Sa pamamagitan ng ahenteng ito nakakuha naman siya ng tourist visa. Opkors, pagkaraang bayaran ng malaking halaga (don’t know the full amount, but from what I hear around it will be at least $5000). Halagang inutang lamang at hanggang ngayon binabayaran pa.

Iniwan niya ang kanyang dalawang anak at nagpunta siya ng NZ. Pero pagdating ng NZ, walang magbigay ng trabaho sa kanya kasi wala naman siyang work permit. So lapit na naman siya sa isa pang consultant (Pinoy din!). Siningil na naman siya ng malaking halaga (again don’t know how much, but some say $3000) nitong bagong consultant na ang tanging ginawa lamang ay ang papuntahin siya sa South Island ng NZ at sinabing doon maghanap ng trabaho. Mas madali daw kasi doon makakuha ng work permit. Apparently halos wala namang naibigay na tulong ang consultant dahil siya rin mismo ang naghanap ng employer.

Di ba nakakalungkot isipan dahil luray-luray na nga yung tao sa hirap sa atin, pinagsamantalahan pa siya. Di lang ng isa kundi dalawa at kapwa Pilipino pa!

Anyway, mabalik tayo sa kwento niya. So nagpunta nga siya sa South Island at doon nakahanap ng trabaho at eventually nabigyan siya ng 1 year work permit. Okay na sana at kumikita na siya. Subalit makaraan ang ilang buwan sinamang palad naman na nagkaroon nga siya ng tumor sa tiyan. So balik na naman siya sa Auckland para magpagamot. At dahil 1 year lang ang work visa niya, hindi siya entitled sa libreng pagpapagamot. Yung mga may 2 years work visa at mga NZ residents lamang kasi ang libre.

Ang sabi sa kanya ng mga doctor na baka kailanganin siyang operahan ulit at i-chemotherapy kapag may nakitang cancer sa biopsy. Additional treatments that will cost around $30-$60 thousand in NZ. Kaya nga nasabi niya (with tears in her eyes and a sense of resignation) “uuwi na lang ako sa atin para makita ko pa ang aking mga anak”.

Unforseen events caused by nature and that which we cannot control, with complete surrender, we learn to accept as God’s will. Harsh and miserable conditions brought about by man’s greed and utter disregard for their fellowmen are sometimes harder to comprehend and accept.

Sometimes I wonder why some people, fellow kababayans even, can be so mean and exploitative. Makes me angry. But then I think of all the other people, also kababayans, hundred times more in number who extended their sympathy, offered prayers, gave and solicited donations to their kababayan in need. And that makes me smile. Sabi nga ni Grasshopper: "[although] we are often reminded of the existence of evil, we should never lose faith in the goodness of man".

• PS. Nakalabas na ng ospital yung Filipina at kasalukuyang nagpapalakas sa bahay ng isang kamag-anak sa Auckland. Nananawagan pa rin siya na ipagdasal na sana'y maging maganda ang resulta ng biopsy at totally walang makitang cancer. Nagpapasalamat din siya sa lahat ng bumisita, tumawag, nagdasal, at nagbigay ng abot ng kanilang makakaya.
  

“There are lots of jobs around, but migrants are too picky which is why they can’t find jobs.”

I saw this comment in a “letter to the editor” in one NZ paper the other day. Although there is some truth to this statement (in certain cases), I have to say that it is misguided and unduly puts the blame on the migrant. Readers who see this statement and who know nothing about NZIS rules and regulations might be quick to agree when in reality it is not the fault of migrants if they are choosy when job hunting.

Some migrants are choosy because they have no choice. I’m referring to migrants who arrive NZ with a 6 month Work-To-Residence visa. What this means is that they only have 6 months to find a job related to their qualifications. Meaning, if one is a teacher, he/she must find a teaching job. It cannot just be a job at the supemarket or at McDonalds. If it is not a teaching job, the 6 months visa won’t be converted to a Permanent Residence Visa and therefore their validity to stay in NZ expires.

It used to be that WTR visas have a validity of 2 years. Okay pa sana kung 2 years. At least pwedeng tumanggap ng kahit anong trabaho during the first few months “just to get by” at habang naghahanap ng ibang mas angkop na mapapasukan. But with NZIS cutting the time to just 6 months, that luxury of time is gone.

Kakainis nga ang NZIS, parating binabago ang mga rules. Ang masaklap yung rules parating pahirap sa mga migrants. Parang laro ng basketball. Nung una, 12 minutes ang bawat quarter. Napansin yata na kapag mahaba ang playing time nakakahabol ang kalaban sa second half. Kaya pinalitan ang rules. 3 minutes na lang bawat quarter. Running time, walang timeout, at wala ring substitution.

But that's the good news! At least one is allowed to play. Because the bad news is, bukas makalawa pwede nilang baguhin ulit ang rules. O kaya naman, baka maisipan na lang itigil lahat ng palaro.

Afraid of Heights

There is a quote that says “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars.”

For some people, this way of thinking works. They prefer to aim high. Have grand objectives. Nothing wrong with that. In fact most of those who do so are probably high achievers in their fields.

But not me. I prefer modest goals. Kasi kapag masyadong mataas, there is undue pressure because of the greater likelihood of failing. And failures lead to unhappines. And life is too short to be unhappy, even for a day.

One person’s goal might be to save a million bucks by age 50. Others, like me are content to save a few bucks every month. The main difference I could see is that the former is more likely to be disappointed if the money falls short of a million by age 50. What’s worse, during the period leading to age 50 the person might have been too obsessed towards achieving the goal, that he/she becomes miserable and stressed during that time.

That’s what happens when you’re too focused on the destination. You fail to see the beautiful scenery.

Like for example nung una akong nakipag-sapalaran sa Tate nung 90’s simple lang ang pangarap ko. Hindi ko pinangarap ang magkaroon ng mamahaling sports car o ang maging sikat na action star sa Hollywood. Dahil nasa IT ako at bihira pa ang may PC noong mga panahong iyon, masaya na ako kung makabili ng sariling PC. Isang no brand na computer 486, 66Mhz, 640KB memory, 20MB hard drive ang nabili ko. Laking tuwa ko na noon. Sa sarili ko kahit pauwiin na ako ni Uncle Sam, masaya na ako dahil may maiuuwi akong pyuter.

I’m not saying that my approach to setting personal goals is superior. In fact I’m sure many will criticize it as one that results in mediocrity. I don’t disagree. But I’m too old to change mindsets now. I’m content to do it “one step at a time” (credits to Kadyo). And I prefer to enjoy every step of the way by achieving small but many victories. Rather than big but few ones. Coz there’s truth in the saying “the higher the leap, the harder the fall”. Yet it’s also true “the harder the fall, the higher the bounce”. Maybe that’s why I don't like heights and I prefer just to roll.

Success is having one of this...

For Pinoys who’ve settled overseas like us, a symbol of success is owning one's house. It doesn’t matter kung hindi pa bayad ang mortgage. Ang mahalaga home-owner ka pa ring matatawag.

Para sa akin hindi rin mahalaga kung malaki, maliit, bago o luma ang bahay. Ang mas importante pangalan mo ang nakalagay sa titulo ng iyong tinitirhan.

Hindi rin mahalaga sa akin kung ano ang laman ng bahay. Kung kumpleto ng appliances o hindi. Kung may Plasma TV, home entertainment and latest electronic gadgets o wala. I don’t envy those things.

Pero merong isang bagay ang para sa akin, kung meron ka nito, I consider you a truly successful home-owner. Inggit ako kung meron ka nito, kasi very few houses in NZ have this.

Si esmi, matagal na niyang hinihiling ito. Para sa ating mga Pinoy, hindi kasi kumpleto ang bahay kung wala nito -- the most used but often underrated part of a Filipino household -- ang dirty kitchen. Para sa ating mga Pinoy kumpleto lamang ang bahay kung may dalawang kitchen. Isang regular kitchen na kung maaari pan-display lamang at isang dirty kitchen na kung saan nagpiprito ng isda, naggigisa ng bagoong, at nagpapakulo ng buto-buto na pambulalo.

So para matuwa naman si Esmi at makapagluto ng masasarap na pagkain dapat pagbigyan ang hilig. Kaya lang dahil kapos sa budget, so naisipan ko na lang siyang igawa ng kanyang dirty kitchen. Here’s a picture of my DIY dirty kitchen I fondly called “The Phone Booth Kitchen” dahil nakakulong na parang phone booth ang lutuan para hindi makalat ang talsik ng mantika. At present kinukuha ko ng patent ang aking design. Heheh

Cost of building Jean’s Dirty Kitchen:

1. Burner with stand - $15 sa garage sale
   
2. Gas bottle – free, bigay ni Pareng Dennis at Ammie
3. Panels and wood – free, napulot lang
4. Stainless Kitchen Sink - $10

Total Cost: $25.
Masarap na luto ni Esmi: Priceless!

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.—Anonymous

Yesterday we had a meeting of AKLNZPinoys. Grabe po, ang daming nag-attend. We originally estimated around 80 to 100 people to attend but close to 200 showed up.

Ang saya po ng get-together. I hope, especially to those who just recently arrived in Auckland and are still settling in to the NZ way of life, na sana nag-enjoy kayo ang found new friends during the meet. Yan naman po ang main purpose ng group natin, that we remain friends. And that we continue helping one another and caring for each other.

Marami pang challenges ang haharapin ng mga bagong dating sa NZ. Lalong-lalo na ang mga may WTR na 6 months. Medyo pressured sila dahil sa short period na meron sila to find a job. But I think with a little help and encouragement from some of us who’ve been in NZ longer, and with God’s grace, they will manage and achieve their purpose for coming here.

Sabi nga ng Beatles, “we get by with a little help from our friends”. Sagot naman ni Stevie Wonder, “[because] that’s what friends are for”. Corny, ano? But truly, yan po ang feeling ko (parang gusto kong kumanta kahit sintunado) when with friends. Lalo na Pinoy friends who are one in caring for each other.

Speaking of friends, nagugulat na lang ako kapag may lumalapit sa akin at nagpapakilala na matagal na raw silang nagbabasa ng blog ko. They talk as though they know so much about me na parang matagal na nila akong kakilala at tinuturing na kaibigan. Pero sila, first time ko pa lang ma-meet kaya medyo feeling awkward ako kasi di ko alam kung paano mag-react.

Lalo na nung may magbigay sa akin ng pasalubong galing pa sa Pinas. One couple sinadya pa nila na ipagdala ako ng plastic tabo. Nabasa kasi nila yung post ko about my multi-purpose tabo. Kahapon naman may nagbigay sa akin ng box of Cloud 9 chocolates na all the way from SM (alam ko kasi nasa isang blue SM plastic bag). At si J naman pinasalubungan ako ng isang music CD. Dahil yata alam niya na 60’s pa ang alam kong music. Yung iba naman, they go out of their way to approach me and thank me personally. All of these from people I’ve never met before (or maybe once pa lang). Nakakataba ng puso. Sometimes, I wonder if I deserve any of these attention. All these for simply putting my thoughts into words on the internet. In any case, taos puso akong nagpapasalamat. At sana ipagpaumanhin ninyo kung di ko ma-recall ang mga names ninyo. Mahirap kasi ang tumatanda.