There is no doubt that New Zealand is a beautiful country. With its breathtaking scenery, peaceful communities and friendly people, it seems to be a great place for one to raise a family. More and more Filipinos are also discovering it as a great place to work and settle in. In fact this country in South Pacific region is now home to more or less 17,000 Filipinos. Filipinos in New Zealand are called Kiwi-Pino’s and most of them are working in the field of healthcare, telecommunication and information technology.

Quick facts:

Capital: Wellington

Climate: Temperate to subtropical.
Population: 4.33 million

Languages: English, Maori

Government Type: Parliamentary.

Exchange rate: 1 NZD  = Php 32.1866 (average as of March 2010)

Work force: 75.2% of 15-64 year olds or 2.057 million. Services and government--59%; manufacturing and construction--32%; agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and mining--8.9%.

As compared to the Philippines, New Zealand has a very small population of just over 4 million. The fact that the number of their aging people is also increasing explains the need for more healthcare workers and the invitation for more migrants.

New Zealand is an attractive place for immigrants because New Zealanders which are mostly of British origin are said to be of good health, are well-educated and enjoys a comfortable standard of living. It is a small nation with very small population but offers lots of employment opportunities for foreign workers.

It is also country with a rich culture because of the unique mix of inhabitants. New Zealand is home to Europeans, Maoris, Polynesians, Asians, and other ethnic tribes. In spite of the different groups of people, there are minimal social constraints or class structures.

The class division between the rich and the poor is also not evident as most of New Zealanders have access to basic needs and can afford simple luxuries in life. However a person who craves bustling city life may not see New Zealand as an ideal destination because as a country that is mostly comprised of towns with very few people, there are also few cities here. There is only one major city, Auckland with a population of more than a million.

Majority of the people live in a place with a country and provincial town lifestyle. You can’t expect to see lots of high- rise building, malls, superhighways or lots of bars and clubs. Due to the small number of people, consumer goods are also limited and may cost more. Compared to other countries with larger populations and more advance economies, their salary scales is also lower. Traveling is also not very common for New Zealanders as the nearest neighbor; Australia is three hours away by plane, making it expensive and time consuming.

If ever you find yourself in New Zealand and wants to meet fellow Filipinos, you can join the Waikato Filipino Association. The Waikato Filipino Association was formed 1993 and was incorporated under the Charitable Act # 1957 on the 13th day of December 2001. The " WFA" is a social and cultural non-profit organisation based in and about Hamilton City. It was founded primarily to preserve and promote Filipino ideals, values, culture and tradition - especially song and dance among Filipinos and Filipino/Kiwi families. You can contact them through their website: http://wfa_online.tripod.com/index.html