Job woes? Try changing your career.
For some, self-reinvention leads to successful settlement.

By Bill Harrison

For many of New Zealand’s nearly 40,000 Filipinos, resettling successfully has involved some self-reinvention. Yet for others, such personal transformation has meant having to return home.

Filipino Migrant News (FMN) uncovers some of the flair behind our newcomers’ often multiple changes of career and even personality traits. All deemed essential, some, near-entertaining.

While up to 100 Pinoys arrive per month on work-to-residence visas, other would-be settlers are tough-loved by at least one immigration advisor confronting the unlikelihood of such New Zealand entry. The courage in accepting this, in itself becomes their forward transformation.

Loreen Carlos, Chief Executive Officer, iMeets, explains: “Our interviews get right to the bottom of whether a candidate would be eligible. It’s not discriminatory – it’s reality!” Of the cases Loreen and Peter Schorer, business partner, agree to accept, 90% yield a successful outcome.

For Bella Gamboa, aspiring social worker, the role of volunteer English teacher gives her Burmese lady learner all the freedom of their newly adopted country. Of Paw Ka Paw, once a 3am-rising rice and chili farmer in rural Myanmar, Bella revealed: “We want Paw’s new English to give her charge of her own shopping trips and outings using public transport.”

While Bella’s own permanent residency application is still pending, she insists every session with Paw “gives me new faith in myself.” Both Bella and Paw arrived between 2007-09 and were matched by English Language Partners Inc, based in Takapuna where it trains volunteers before pairing them with neighbouring new settlers.

As well as ‘book’ learning, the two find incentive in each others’ own challenges. One of Paw’s three sons, Hero, is in a Thai refugee camp awaiting his chance.

Bella, having relinquished her own Cebu-based special needs teaching, now supervises 11 caregivers and their guidance of challenged home flatters.

While most Pinoys take great pride in their lifetime struggles, these are won-over with both goodwill and humour, according to a barrister, Paulo Garcia.

“Some new arrivals become stuck. For example the Nursing Council will not register those who have not worked as such. Many of our newly arriving nurses instead take on care giving roles intending to up-skill. Yet, reality proves there is little time for such study.” The newcomers with the working skills and life experience to adapt are mainly those in the 35-45 age group. Between 40-50% of others return home at the first expiry of visa.

“We can never let ourselves lose that will to fit in and embrace whatever we become part of,” adds Garcia. “We’ve had construction workers rightly winning residency by re-professionalizing as metal fabricators. We do not want welfare, just the chance to contribute.”

Maricel Weischede of NZ Immigration Help Service, points to how things could improve ‘out in the field.’ “New Zealand farmers often view Filipino agriculturalists as less employable – because at home, their role is more managerial than hands-on.

“They instead supervise the lesser-formally qualified tiers of farm labourer. We entreat farm owners here to realize how quickly our people adapt to the practicalities.”

‘Nothing but a starring role for me, thanks!’ Thankfully this attitude is exposed as fast-fading pomp. Lulette Carnie, Co-ordinator, Employment Programme (Migrant Communities), ARMS, outlined: For the often status-conscious Filipino, being adaptable in a new country begins with a new mindset. Set-back by having to deploy into lower-level jobs if necessary, their self-esteem bounces back only when they realize they need local work experience and New Zealand is far less rigidly hierarchical. Generally there is an equal employment opportunity and the contribution of everyone here is valued. “From that point, their resilience, hopes and dreams take over. Our people become happier doing whatever it takes to move toward successful settlement and contribution to NZ’s economy.”

Joel Montarde successfully settled here by constantly moving on. The multiple careers of Joel sped this high school teaching NZ arrival from window-installation to eventual specialty butchery. Along his kiwi way which began in 1988, Joel fitted in bathtub process work and his still current flea market-sited barbecuing. Though once a non-driving vehicle owner, Joel later between 1995 -1996, rose to being a prize-winning airport taxi proprietor. I wanted to make the most of this NZ opportunity,” revealed the quietly spoken first-ever NZ-Filipino merchant of dried fish.

“Perhaps also, there was the chance to help our friends already here. Maybe even become something of an example.” Thus by 2003 Joel and wife Mina were employing up to five others in their distribution of affordable ‘luxury’ meat. “On starting, we had no industry knowledge of even how to cut the meat,” revealed Joel. “We began by just following how it was done in the diagrams!” .