Summer Picnic. KBNZ’s first activity for 2010 was a Pre-Valentine summer picnic at the beach held last Feb 13 at Long Bay Regional Park, Site 3. The morning was greeted with a cloudy sky but the sun came out fiercely at 10.

Longest ear and whitest teeth

In one game, each group with 8 members had to arrange themselves according to the instruction given by Cherry. The first group to finish the task must sit on the grass.  Arrange yourselves according to your birth date or the year you arrived in New Zealand were some of the instructions. When asked to find who had the longest ear, each group scrambled for their formation but  Jenny Tan  proudly stood in the front line of her group with her hair pulled back to show she had the longest ear amidst the shriek of banter. Gingin Doctora and his son showed their close-up smile to display they had the whitest teeth. In keeping with the Valentine spirit, a game was also dedicated for the couples. Husbands and wives were given a questionnaire to answer on how well they know each other after being married for so many years. One husband did not remember what her wife wore on their first date.

Tapok og Istoryang ginagmay

The best thing about a Bisaya gathering is that there is always a small group discussion for you to reminisce your past, remember urban legends from your hometown or simply talk about any topic of common interest. I heard one group talking about their high school pranks and growing-up pains. Some oldies also offered advice to newly arrived ones on how to succeed in finding a job or tips in buying a house in this recession time.

KBNZ President Rosendo Menchavez was in the mood for mature toilet humour. Atty. Mel Libre recalled, among other things, about Cebu politics in the 80s, his campaign to promote Cebuano music through his radio programs. I discovered he was the DJ who hosted the program I used to listen to every Sunday afternoon in the 90’s over station DYRC.

Gatherings like this also bring you closer to home, even face to face with people you grow up with. Dennis Tan, who has resided in Auckland for more than 10 years, met his childhood friends from Danao Cebu. It was heart-warming to hear them reminisce their childhood years.

The picnic was supposed to end at 3 PM but many members stayed late up to 5 in the afternoon to take a stroll in the beach or simply sit back and relax to enjoy the long summer day.

Grant application finally submitted. After several brainstorming sessions and Board meetings, KBNZ has submitted its grant application for the Lottery Auckland Community Committee last Feb 26. KBNZ is seeking a funding for its four major projects for the year: Workshop & Training Program, the Annual General Assembly & Cultural Presentation, Family Day activity and Christmas Get Together. KBNZ has lined up activities  for this year that would carry the following objectives: create environmental awareness (the beach outing last Feb 13 was supposed to have a beach clean-up as the opening activity); foster closer family relationship among members; promote physical fitness; assist and help migrants in their settlement in New Zealand through information dissemination, forum and mentoring; promote Filipino culture through festivities, cultural presentations; honour the elderly through gift-giving, entertainment and cultural programs. The organisation is hopeful to be granted a funding of $40,000.

Filipina in Wellington thankful to KBNZ. Living up to its thrust to help fellow Filipinos who are in need, KBNZ once again has facilitated financial help to augment the hospitalization expenses of a fellow Bisaya in need. Yvette Matias, a 26 year old nurse from Cagayan de Oro City, was admitted for almost a month at the Wellington Hospital due to kidney shutdown. She was in coma for 3 days and woke-up on the fourth day. Admitted last Jan. 18, she underwent several sessions of dialysis and was finally discharged from the hospital last Feb. 8. Because she arrived in New Zealand via a visitor’s visa, Yvette was not entitled to health care benefits. In an email to Ferdie Esclamado, one of KBNZ’s pioneer figures and chairperson of the Emergency Fund Committee, Yvette thanked the Filipino community in Auckland and Wellington for praying for her.

Nowadays, Yvette is all but smiles. She received her work permit last Feb 18 and is due to start work Huntleigh Resthome in Karori,Wellington.