pakinangin ang Pinoy, saan man sa mundo (making the Pinoy shine, wherever in the world) – thank you, Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards!

[for their groundbreaking efforts to promote excellence in the NZ Pinoy community, thanks and gratitude are due to Filipino Migrant News holding their Awards night Saturday the 19th at the Te Atatu Peninsula Community Centre in Auckland, specifically Mel and Shiela Fernandez. please check out FMN’s content at filipinonews.nz, maraming salamat po! ]

HERE’S A QUESTION for you Kabayan.

What do the El Filibusterismo, the Spoliarium and Let It Go popularized by the all-time box-office hit Frozen have in common?

Answer : lahat po sila ay nilikha ng Pinoy, ethnic Filipinos gifted enough to create works of art appreciated by the world.

But not just that. Jose Rizal, the first Filipino, wrote the final version of his masterpiece in London, Juan Luna painted his obra maestra in Madrid, and Robert Lopez (with wife Kristen Andersen-Lopez) wrote the award-winning song as 2nd-generation Filipino-American in the US. All these works were done outside the Philippines.

Filipinos, as our Ambassador Jesus Gary Domingo likes to to say, shine brightest among other races and beyond the shores of the Motherland. We all excel on the soil of our land of birth, but something about being away from home makes us want to show who good we are, how well we perform without family and friends, and why Filipinos are a force to contend with.

***** ***** *****

Knowing how overachieving and world-beating we are, and what a difference we make in the New Zealand community, the Kiwi-Pinoy Hero Awards was created for Pinoys and Pinoy groups who not only uplift others and make a difference in the Kiwi and migrant community, but inspire others to pay it forward and do the same:

1. Filipino-Kiwi Hero of the Year – Lani Larsen – Turangi, Taupo
   Chair, Goodheart NZPH Foundation Charitable Trust
   Frontline Hero Awards:
2. Nurse of the Year – Kristine Dianne Balatbat (Wellington).
3. Health Professional of the Year – Arby Manalansan, Aged Care Facility Manager, Ackld.
4. Mental Health Advocate – Nino Verzosa Pangatungan, Ackld.
   Business Excellence:
5. Dairy Farmer of the Year – Christopher Vila (Ohaupo – Waikato)
6. Filipino Fashion Supremo – Ruscoe Bustenera-Kirby, Ackld – (Fashion Show included in this
   segment)
7. Business Achiever – Erik Sia, Victoria’s Kitchen Limited, Ackld
8. Pinoy Chef of the Year 2021 – Angel Apun, Luntian, Ackld.
9. Pinoy Chef of the Year 2020 – Vicente ‘Boyet’ Deloterio, Boracay Garden Restaurant
   Community Hero Awards:
10. Outstanding Community Group – Good Heart PH NZ Foundation Charitable Trust
    (Turangi, Taupo). Recipient – Edgar Calapati.
11. Exemplary Migrant Advocate – Celso Roger Baldo, Beekeeper (Cambridge)
12. Filipino Resource Centre – Puketapapa Community Driving School, Ackld
    Recipient – Amy Maga.
    Sporting Achievers:
13. Sportsperson of the Year – Kenzo Santayana, National Gymnastic Champion – Ackld
14. Sports Group of the Year – Fusion Volleyball Club (Christchurch)
15. Leadership in Promoting Outdoor Pursuits – Mary Rose Marfori, Ackld
    Creative Arts Awards:
16. Filipino Music Award – Jazz Vidamo, Opera Singer – Matamata, Waikato.
17. Showbiz Impressario – Joey Vee (Hamilton)
18. Stage Performer of the Year – Marianne Infante, Ackld
19. Artist of the Year – Louie Bretana, Ackld
    Media Awards:
20. Radio Personality of the Year – Jesil Cajes (Wellington)
21. Journalist of the Year – Queenie Lee Tanjay (Rotorua)
22. Photographer of the Year – Aisha Ronquillo (Auckland)
23. Blogger Extraordinaire – Noel Bautista (Timaru – South Canterbury)

mabuhay po kayong lahat!