Beyond cows and hobbits
By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman, Reporter
New Zealand is often associated with two things: dairy products and The Hobbit. But there’s more to this country than cows and fantasy movies.
On May 20 to 22 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, there will be a fair that aims to highlight New Zealand’s other tourist come-ons like its food selections that go beyond milk and butter: mussels, oysters, salmon, and kiwi fruit. There are also airfare discounts for tourists and students.
“There’s a growing Filipino student community in New Zealand because of its good yet affordable post-graduate schools,” New Zealand Ambassador David Strachan told BusinessWorld in a press lunch at his home in Forbes Park, Makati on May 11.
Around 3,000 Filipino students were enrolled in New Zealand schools in 2015, 71% more than in 2014, he said. Currently, they are helping more than 20 Filipino scholars.
“We offer high standard of education at competitive rates. If you look at the New Zealand dollar, the value is significantly less and more competitive, I should say, than most of our like-minded countries. In terms of a safe environment, where you got a big Filipino community, it has a lot to commend it,” he said.
The fair — held in partnership with Philippine Airlines (PAL) — will offer travel promos to tourists, but will give bigger discounts to students.
Mr. Strachan is expecting to see growth in the number of tourists and students going to his home because of the shorter travel time between the Philippines and New Zealand. Last December, PAL started flying four times weekly between Manila and Auckland — before this travelers had to go to Australia then change planes to hop on to New Zealand.
Similar in size to Japan and Great Britain, New Zealand only has four million people according to its tourism Web site, www.newzealand.com. Over three quarters of its population live in the North Island while one third lives in Auckland. Its key cities include Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton.
“[The tagline of our tourism video is] ‘Open hearts, open minds, and open spaces.’ We have some of the most remarkable scenery you’ll not see anywhere in the world. Hot springs, volcanoes unlike the sceneries you see here, and fields you’ll expect to see in Scandinavia,” said Mr. Strachan.
Besides The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the country’s varied landscapes have served as the backdrop for movies like King Kong,Avatar, and The Last Samurai.
DECADE-LONG RELATIONSHIP
The Philippines and New Zealand are old friends, celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties this year.
The Philippines and New Zealand are old friends, celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties this year.
When asked to describe of our relationship, the Ambassador said it was exciting.
“There have been a profound changes since the last six years and that’s due to the Filipinos who’ve moved to New Zealand to work there, and now living as citizens,” said Mr. Strachan.
“There’s coast-to-coast contact and that means our relationship, say 20 years ago, was relatively distant but now it has become more intimate. I am often told by Filipinos I meet that they have a niece or nephew who are now in New Zealand. At the same time, there are probably 2,000 Kiwis (as New Zealanders are nicknamed) living in the Philippines and loving this country. I think that makes for a vibrant relationship, that’s made from a solid foundation,” he said.
There are more than 42,000 Filipinos living in New Zealand, which is equivalent to one percent of the country’s population, said the Ambassador.
“They are becoming increasingly influential, integrated well into the work force, and helped revitalized the Catholic Church.”
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