The Bulwagan Foundation Trust Newsletter

Issue 6    July 2015

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What A Journey This Has Been!

By Odette Madrisa

As to continue the journey... now to Wellington! 

Day 6: Arrival In Wellington, Rehearsal with Wellington Young Voices and Welcome Dinner

We all had a busy week in Auckland and so far the experience was great. In the morning, assembly was at the Consulate Office. Most host parents came and said their farewells to their "adopted" kids. Lydia Magallanes, one of the host parents came with us on the bus and Robert, her husband, joined us later at the airport.

Once we got to the airport, to ensure that they were all seated together, I've asked the stewardess to help sort out the seats and baggages of the group. There was a bit of a problem when there were two extra baggages (keyboard and its stand) to check in. Air New Zealand has a strict rule when it comes to number of baggages, only one check-in baggage is allowed per person, otherwise pay for the extra ones. That could have been expensive if we had to pay for the extra baggages but fortunately, a manager came to the rescue! It turned out that she's married to a Filipino and understood the situation. We were allowed to check-in those baggages without paying extra! Whew! We were so thankful! Now, all sorted, it was fun to see these kids dropping off their baggages on their own.

Finally, we had time to kill. Robert and Lydia were so worried that the kids might go hungry anytime. So, they all treated us for an early lunch at McDonalds. Everyone was happy including myself. It was very nice of them to do that! They're thoughtful and caring!

Now, it was time to go to the gate. I led the group to the X-ray and just gave them a few instructions on where to wait while others are going through with their stuff. After a few of them were finished, one of the officers couldn't help but express his admiration to the kids especially on how disciplined and behaved they were. I was feeling very proud and acknowledged that it's because of Tita Alma pointing to her so she'd come and join in the conversation. We told him that they're in a concert tour and told him the reason why they're doing it. Well, it was too late to invite him for the Auckland concert but I thought it's good to tell him about the concerts in Wellington and Christchurch in case he knows somebody in the regions and hoping they watch. When all done, I accompanied the group to their assigned gate until they boarded the plane. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't in the same flight. They're original flight was with Jetstar and so I followed the plan but there was a change of flight and airline after I've done my booking. Anyway, it was just an hour later and I was back in Wellington.

When they arrived in Wellington, they were welcomed by the Philippine Embassy staff with Ambassador Virginia Benavidez and Trustees from Bulwagan Foundation Trust. They had lunch at the Embassy before going to the Baptist Church for a rehearsal with the Wellington Young Voices.

In the evening, there was a welcome dinner at the "Ang Bahay" then fellowship followed. Then the kids and accompanying adults went home with their respective host families who are actually the Philippine Embassy staff and the Ambassador.

Day 7: Visit and Immersion at the South Wellington Intermediate School

The South Wellington Intermediate School (SWIS) was the first school the Loboc Children's Choir (LCC) has visited in Wellington. They experienced the "Powhiri" (Welcome Ceremony) and "Hongi" ("breath of life" is exchanged and intermingled) for the first time. After the ceremony, now the "Manuhiri" (Visitors) becomes one of the Tangata Whenua (hosts). Honestly, in my whole life here in New Zealand, this is also my first time to experience it. I never got the chance to participate in any of the ceremonies until this time.

After the welcome ceremony, the kids were buddied-up with the students and they all went in different classes and venues. For us, adults, we tried to follow them by visiting all the classrooms where at least two of them were attending. The kids were all having fun especially at break time where they got to scatter around the ground, mingled and played with the students. In the early afternoon, the choir gave the students of SWIS a treat by performing at the gym. Everyone was amazed and admired the choir.

In the evening, we all went to Pipitea Marae for an ocular inspection and also

to check the sound system. It was a free night so the choir rehearsed and when it's over we just had some fun being ourselves.

Day 8: Performance at the South Wellington Intermediate School and Tour of the Government House

The Choir went back to the South Wellington Intermediate School to perform in front of its students and students from Newtown and Berhampore Schools. They all witnessed the magnificent display of musical talent the choir showcased that day.

After visiting the school, we were privileged to get a first-hand look at the home of the Governor General, the Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady Janine Mateparae at the Government House in Wellington. Whenever Royalties visit New Zealand, this is the house where they stay. 

Before starting the tour, the choir rendered a song entitled "Light of a Million Mornings" at the historic Ballroom of the Government House. The officials and personnel of the Government House were held spellbound by their moving performance. The children are real troupers! We are so proud of them!

Day 9: Immersion At Kelburn Nornmal School and Shoppping

This was a day where I missed the choir. I got a bit worn out from the previous week and not being fit had some effects, so I stayed home to rest making sure that I will be joining them the following day until the rest of their stay here in New Zealand.

Although I wasn't with them, this is what I heard... 

It was a fun-filled day for the Loboc Children’s Choir as they visited Kelburn Normal School. The Loboc Children’s Choir interacted with the students and choir members of Kelburn Normal School where they taught each other songs from their countries. The enriching cultural activity ended with performances from the students of the school and a captivating medley of songs from the Loboc Children’s Choir.

As a treat for their hard work, the Loboc Children’s Choir was given a special gift by the Philippine Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez. The smiles in the faces of these young, talented children were a testament to the productive day they had.

Day 10: Gala Performance at the Pipitea Marae

We hired a professional videographer called Glass Gecko Films to record the whole concert and produce copies in DVDs and CDs to sell. Therefore, no one else was allowed to take videos. As we also asked an official photographer named Jun Tanlayco to take photos, we tried to prevent other people from taking photos as well. This was to avoid producing flash that may interrupt or annoy the performers on stage.

As usual, the choir "wowed" the audience when they did the Gala Performance at the Pipitea Marae in Wellington on the 12th of June 2015. Tickets were sold out and more than 650 people attended the concert to personally enjoy and witness how good these young voices are. The programme was hosted by Rey Non. The National Anthems were sung by FilCoro. A welcome speech made by Ambassador Virginia Benavidez and a message made by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown (Mayor of Wellington). Guest performers were the Wellington Young Voices Choir, the Filifest Kids Dance Group and Ella Cabauatan. A big cheque from Bulwagan Foundation Trust was handed over by Judith Mendoza to Noel Caneda for the choir. Also, a cheque from Western Union was handed over by Gene Orejana to Noel Caneda for the choir. The Bulwagan Foundation Trust and the Philippine Embassy thanked all the sponsors, donors, volunteers and supporters of this concert.

After the concert, the audience were given a chance to take photos with the kids. I guess the most fun part for these kids was when they were signing the Souvenir Programme. They were seated on one side of a long table and we were hoping that people would line up in front of them. But some people tend to bend over at the kids' back and seeing how tiny they were, I was worried that they might get squashed. And so "the protective Tita" asked people to queue in front instead. Some tried to ignore but they did get a warning! But overall, the day was great!

Day 11: Tour of Greater Wellington and Holy Mass

The choir had a tour of the Greater Wellington. The first stop was the Parliament which took place in the morning. This is all I can say as cameras are not allowed inside, not even our mobile phones. Then off to the Mt Victoria Lookout to see the beautiful city of Wellington. While at the Lookout, the choir sang "What a Journey It Has Been" and everyone was amazed! Before we went to Weta Cave, we had a stop-over to have some shots of the Wellington signage. Then at the Weta Cave, the kids (including the "big" kids) enjoyed looking around and taking photos esp with "my precious" Gollum! We all had "yum-char" lunch at the Big Thumb restaurant before going home to rest before attending the mass in the afternoon. The Holy Mass at the Sacred Heart Cathedral was intended for the 117th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. After the Holy Mass, the choir rendered a few songs. Then it was followed by a supper and fellowship with the parishioners at the foyer before leaving for home.

Day 12: Abundant Life Centre Performance, Botanical Garden and Jurassic World

The Abundant Life Centre (ALC) was fortunate to have the choir to perform on stage after the Sunday Service. This was in-line with the celebration of the 117th Philippine Independence Day. Once again, the choir "wowed" the audience with their angelic voice and performance. Traditional Filipino food was served for lunch which was prepared by the Embassy and Filipinos from ALC. After the Service, the choir went to the Botanical Garden (a place I need to stay away from due to allergies :( ). Then, off to Reading Cinemas to watch Jurassic World (No way I was going to miss this!).

It was a free evening and so we just thought of staying at Arlene's place to have dinner, take it easy and just have fun. It was fun to see these kids playing and competing with each other with their dance moves following XBOX Just Dance! It was also great to witness Kenshin play the piano! When the rest of the choir left, Dinna, Rowel and myself were the last visitors to leave. We actually stayed longer and had Magicsing set on. It was great to hear the voice of an Loboc Children's Choir alumnae, Noel, while singing some Tagalog songs! It was a great evening and we all had fun!

Day 13: Visit To St Bernard's College, War Memorial and Te Papa

The choir has visited the St Bernard's College (all boys school) in Lower Hutt where they experienced Powhiri (Welcome Ceremony), buddy-up with students, school tour and class activities. Even us, the accompanying adults has experienced the few classes that the choir has attended. It's nice to feel like a student again - well, to some degree. This visit and immersion was made possible through Ms. Pauline O'Leary. The day at school ended with a performance of the choir at the school gym which was attended by the students. It was a standing ovation!

The rest of the afternoon until evening was spent visiting the War Memorial and Te Papa Museum. While at the War Memorial, I was amazed at how good Kara was when it came to history and geography. She was teaching the rest of the choir about some historical events and the kids were all listening! We all went around to have a look and honestly, I was amazed by how things were presented (i.e. the wax models, the production, the miniatures, etc.) but a bit heavy-hearted realising how cruel the effects of war to humankind were. At Te Papa, before entering the Gallipoli section of the museum, the staff requested the choir to sing. People impressed by their voices listened gladly and even took a video. People from the upper level did the same when they heard their angelic voices. Inside this section were huge wax models and they all looked very realistic! Again, I was amazed by how things were presented but a bit heavy-hearted by the same reason above. We carried on to some parts of the museum. Since we came in a bit late, we were a bit conscious of the time so we just selected the section that we wanted to explore. Our tour ended at the Air New Zealand virtual reality personalised in-flight entertainment experience.

Day 14: Visit and Immersion at the Te Wananga O Aotearoa University

The choir visited the Te Wananga o Aotearoa University in Porirua and experienced a Powhiri-Whakatau as a form of welcome to the choir and be part of the Te Wananga family. This visit and immersion was made possible by Mr. Matthew Maynard (CEO) and Sharmane Thompson of Exceptional Communications.

Before going to the next activities, there was morning tea, followed by a campus tour and interaction. They learnt about a few Maori words and a bit of history. The kids even learnt how to do the Haka. Lunch was provided and afterwards Sharmane requested for her grandson to take a photo with the choir. So, what I did was for the choir to take a pose, one by one, with him. I think he's happy and I'm sure that his mother, who's also a faculty member would be raving about those photos in the University. It was a fruitful learning experience about the Maori culture for both the kids and the accompanying adults.

The afternoon was spent as a rest and relaxing time (finally) for the choir. It was the first time since they arrived here in New Zealand.

Day 15: Diplomatic Reception / Certificate of Appreciation

Over 450 people including visitors from Auckland, Christchurch, Palmerston North and even Sydney attended this event in celebration of the 117th Philippine Independence Day at the Pipitea Marae. FilCoro welcomed the arriving visitors with their beautiful voices. Drinks and nibbles were served by the Embassy staff and community volunteers. The official photographer on this event was Alan Raga.

The choir has been the main attraction impressing the audience (as expected). After the programme, there was a buffet dinner for everyone. When most people were gone, everyone was having fun dancing, jumping around and just chilling out. And little did we know that the Ambassador and Philippine Embassy staff prepared a farewell presentation for the Loboc Children's Choir. The choir and each individuals were given a certificate of appreciation and commendation especially being young ambassadors of friendship, culture and goodwill in promoting the richness of Filipino culture through music in New Zealand and enhancing closer people-to-people ties among Filipinos, New Zealanders and wider communities during the first ever Loboc Children's Choir New Zealand Tour 2015.

We, the Bulwagan Trustees and other volunteers, were also surprised and happy to be given certificates of appreciation and commendation for partnering with the Philippine Embassy to welcome the Loboc Children's Choir and accompanying adults and for making sure that they will have a successful performance in Wellington.

It was a longer stay in Wellington and the kids have learnt and enjoyed a lot, not a single day dull. I think having a visit and immersion at the schools and university mentioned above is really great especially for the choir who missed classes back in the Philippines while on a tour. It's true what the Ambassador said that these kids are young Ambassadors of friendship, culture and goodwill... but they also have been at the receiving end of friendship, culture and goodwill of the KiwiPinoys, New Zealanders and wider community. The museums and places of interest made them exposed to a different culture and I do hope that this will become an inspiration in whatever they aspire to be in the future.

Next will be Loboc Children's Choir in Christchurch. Watch for the next issue of this newsletter.

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The Filipino Community Centre

After years of planning, hardwork, challenges and delays Bulwagan Foundation Trust is thrilled to announce the opening of the Filipino Community Centre located at 92-94 Cuba Street, Petone, Lower Hutt.

Official opening 26th September 2015, Saturday, dedication and blessing begins at 10:00 AM to be officiated by H.E. Ambassador Virginia Benavidez, and the Hon. Mayor Ray Wallace of Lower Hutt followed by "Merienda" (morning tea) and several cultural and musical presentations. The Centre will be opened till 4:00 PM. We invite you all to come and see the Centre. We request our Kababayans to please help by bringing a plate of finger food for "merienda" to share.

Huge thanks to the people who worked tirelessly to secure the Centre. Many people have given generously and we are incredibly grateful. Our fundraising efforts are not yet over and we continue to invite your financial help in this regard. The Filipino Community Centre will be a place of belonging, learning, culture and heritage for everyone who comes and use the Centre. "Pamana" for our next generation of Kiwipinos in our region.

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Continuously Building the Community
- How Can You Help?

Alkansiya

This is a "piggy bank" version in the Philippines that is made out of coconut shell with a hole that will only fit a coin. The concept is to fill it with coins and the Trustees will announce an event to break this "alkansiya". Whatever the total amount of the coins will be donated to the Filipino Community Centre project.

Adopt-a-brick

A number of bricks are offered for adoption, reserved and paid in advance by interested individuals,
organizations, businesses, offices and politicians. These bricks are then set aside in a “warehouse” BANK
that will eventually be used to build the CENTRE.

Fundraising Events

Please do support our events by buying tickets and attending the events. If you have a business, you can either sponsor or hire a stall. Or if you just want to sell your products and services, hire a stall or two.

Volunteers? Anyone? We Need You!

While we are looking forward to the official opening of our Filipino Community Centre, this doesn't mean that the work is over. In fact, there will be more fun activities and events to prepare for. 

So if you have a flair for writing, photography, videography, graphic arts, entertainment or simply wanting to contribute your time, service and/or effort, you're very welcome to do so. Please let us know by sending us an email on trustee@bulwagan.org.nz.

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