2 days ago
Ending up at hospital ‘like destiny'
Being made a New Zealand citizen while dressed in indigenous Matigsalug clothing was one woman's way of saying she would "not forgot where I come from".
Yesterday, Danelie Flores and her husband Retzy Cariaga were officially made New Zealand citizens during a ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall.
The pair are both nurses and moved to Dunedin in 2019 due to Otago Polytechnic being the first tertiary institute in New Zealand to offer them both spots to complete a bridging plan so they could practise in New Zealand.
"Luckily, we then both ended up in Dunedin Hospital — it's just like destiny," Ms Flores said.
Since arriving in the city, the pair have welcomed two children, Raniel Cariaga and Daena Cariaga.
Ms Flores said having the opportunity to wear the traditional clothing of her indigenous tribe back in the Philippines was "so special".
"It's just good to wear this dress again after a long, long time," she said.
Ms Flores was born and raised in the Matigsalug tribe in the Bukidnon provence in the Philippines.
The land she was raised on was an "ancestral domain", which was land the indigenous Matigsalug people of the region had custodianship over.
In the native language, Matigsalug meant "people along the Salug River" and they were called that as the people, ate, slept and lived along the river.
"It's a very deep-rooted culture. We have our own practices and we are still able to preserve that culture."
She said while her children were born in New Zealand, they were also Matigsalug and she would teach them their culture despite being so far away.
"I am a Matigsalug, and that's why I'm wearing this dress today, just to say even though I am far away, I have not forgot where I come from," Ms Flores said.
She hoped there would be more opportunities to dress up and share her culture with others. New citizens
Ken Wabe Akut (Philippines); Ahmad Ghanem Al Ghanem (Syria); Maria Hani Al Helal (Syria); Mouhanad Hani Al Helal (Syria); Nagham Hani Al Helal (Syria); Hind Hani Al Helal (Syria); Ahmad Hani Al Helal (Syria); Ahmad Bassem Al Yassin (Syria); Mahdi Alihosseini (Iran); Luke Tom Anooj (New Zealand); Nivya Savy (India); Anooj Thazhatheppuram Thomas (India); Rezty Flores Cariaga (Philippines); Danelie Bernadez Flores (Philippines); Cassandra Leah Chapman (United Kingdom); Santosh Dahal (Nepal); Saffron Dahal (Nepal); Avery Isaac Ventayen Duro (Philippines); Craig William Ferguson (UK); Michelle Elizabeth Furter (South Africa); Ezechel Jhois Alconera Garcia (Philippines); Isbah Ul Mulk Ghauri (Pakistan); Muneera Ghauri (Pakistan); Fatima Haidari (Afghanistan); Freshta Shirzad (Afghanistan); Ali Sina Shirzad (Afghanistan); Hossein Shirzad (Afghanistan); Jeoffy Veracruz Hipolito (Philippines); Zoey Nozawa Hipolito (Philippines); Zyla Nozawa Hipolito (Philippines); Doris Nozawa Hipolito (Philippines); Zahoor Hussain (Pakistan); Josefina Bernardo Jackson (Philippines); Prasath Jayakaran (India); Leema Jaya Priya Prasath (India); Adrian Lemuel Prasath (India); Austin Nowell Prasath (New Zealand); Salomi Aradhana Prasath (New Zealand); Kiran Joseph (India); Rosemary Saju (India); Saju Varghese (India); Khai Ju Leong (Malaysia); Yuanhan Liu (China); Dexi Xiao (China); Philip Owen Lyndom (UK); Albert Christian Gambaloza Martillana (Philippines); Michael Stanley Massey (United States); Shiyama Mohamed (Sri Lanka); Amana Mohamed (Sri Lanka); Sumesh Mohanan (India); Neocris Loreto Moncada (Philippines); Fe Maville Monserate Noel (Philippines); Elvin Chuckie Valle Noel (Philippines); Wendy Joy Parkins (Australia); Christian Fraser Pearson (UK); Prathumwan Phanplee (Thailand); Sombat Phanplee (Thailand); Nipaporn Reid (Thailand); Tulagaese Sala (Samoa); Hope Angelica Sandall (England); Fatma Tekinkaya (Turkey); Rajeshkumar Meghjibhai Vatvisa (India); Clemens Heinrich Walgern (Germany); Yuen On Wan (Hong Kong (SAR)); Anna Angelica Alcantara Aguirre (Philippines); Raed Muhamad Al Jarkas Al Husein (Syria); Rami Mustafa Allo (Syria); Joannah Ann Aneesh (India); Jancy Aneesh Stephen (India); Aneesh Stephen (India); Htin Lin Aung (Myanmar); Khine Zar Tun (Myanmar); Aufar Bahri (Indonesia); Samikshya Baniya (Nepal); Lucy Andrea Beckmann Fuentes (Chile); Francisca Alejandra Millan Beckmann (Chile); Alonso Agustin Millan Beckmann (Chile); Gonzalo Andres Millan Mon toya (Chile); Joyce Antonette Bajandi Boardman (Philippines); Mark Gary Cameron (Australia); Beverly Diana Cobos Oviedo (Mexico); Omar Adrian Cota Haros (Mexico); Alaine Des Fountain (South Africa); Hamidollah Eidizadeh (Afghanistan); Mohammad Ali Eidizadeh (Iran); Soraya Eidizadeh (Iran); Jamil Eidizadeh (Iran); Somayeh Eidizadeh (Iran); Pari Khal Tajik (Afghanistan); Vito Gattuso (Italy); Joanne Louise Gattuso (UK); Simone Handwerk (Germany); Klaus Michel Herde (Germany); Christina Louise Hulbe (US); Timothy Scott Hulbe Pulver (US); Samuel Christoph Hulbe Pulver (US); Scott Mark Pulver (US); Danuda Damsara Wijeratne Jayawardena (Sri Lanka); Tracey Ann Jones (UK); Muhammed Thameem Ansari Kalakappara (New Zealand); Raseena Thasni Kalamthodi (India); Gaganpreet Kaur (India); Kirandeep Kaur (India); Wan-Ju Lee (Taiwan); Chun Shen Lim (Malaysia); Boon York Lim (Malaysia); Har Chai Ng (Malaysia); Ni Lu (China); Sharon Lynette Mackie (Australia); Leo Pik (Israel); Nimrod Pik (Israel); Merav Pik Keet (Israel); Nataliya Podgorodnichenko (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics); Khadem Hossain Rasoli (Afghanistan); Mitchel Tanner Ream (US); Sharon Denisha Rubendra (England); Louise Ann Shaw (UK); Ethan Taylor Shaw-Wood (UK); Chloe Louise Wood (UK); Shivangni Lata Singh (Fiji); Virender Singh (India); Emma Louise Stevenson (England); Sumanth Surendran (India); Sara Savannah Surendran Reveret (France); Jillian Tze Joon Tan (Malaysia); Francesca Traini (South Africa); Veniana Galo Vakadula (Fiji); Yusufujiang Yilifan (China); Elaine Gladys Isabella Young (UK); James Alan Young (UK); Sander Paul Zwanenburg (Netherlands).
• The ODT agreed not to name one other person who gained citizenship yesterday.
