The New Zealand Filipino is a result of the desire of a group of Filipino migrants in New Zealand to unite, share and provide services to fellow Filipinos in their own small ways. The initial endeavour was an attempt to collect signatures from Filipinos all over New Zealand to support a petition to ABS-CBN Global to air The Filipino Channel in this country to provide current events and hometown entertainments reducing the feeling of homesickness particularly those whose loved ones were still in the Philippines.

The six(6) months work-to-residence visas given to migrant worker is a total failure. Only 3% of the migrant workers were able to land a job suitable for immigration.

Migrants has petitioned the government to reinstate the two(2) year period for work-to-residence visas. Employers, on the other hand, are only eyeing for one(1) year duration. Employers refuse to employ migrants with only six(6) of work permit duration.

Which ever period the government legislate as long as the period for work-to-residence visas will go beyond the six(6) months period is a good news to new migrants.

Local Experience Required. This has always been the primary reason for probable employers to deny employment to new migrants even if they have suitable experience in country of origin particularly the third world countries.

TNZF has been searching for reasons for these employers requirement. The main reason I found is: new Filipino migrants are not familiar with New Zealand Laws, Policies, Standards, and Work Practices.

TNZF just wishes that employer will give chances to Filipino migrants to prove their worth.

Parihaka International Peace Festival is an annual festivities of songs, dances and most of all interaction with mother nature..

A Glimpse of the Philippines, an expo of Philippine crafts, products, costume, sceneries and people is being held by the Taranaki Filipino Society in association with Puke Ariki on occasion of the exhibition of Takapou Whariki. The exhibition is currently being from 4-7 January 2007 at the Puke Ariki, New Plymouth.

Filipinos should always be proud of their race, culture and traditions wherever they may be. This exhibition is a show window to show off the Philippines and its people.

Filipinos despite being away from their native land have retained their traits of being hospitable and helpful. There is no question that the former is where the Filipinos are known best. Little are known that they are also helpful irregardless of who the party needing their help.

This was a topic of the conversation I just have with a long time friend who is in Auckland. I know him personally as we came from the same university in the Philippines, got the same province and speak the same dialect. He has been in New Zealand for about a decade now and has been successful in his own right despite not having the same job as what he usually practise in the Philippines. It was really a small world, we met again in here when I got work in the company he was working with. I was not aware that he was employed there too though.