Proud Kiwi
Today is a special occasion for me and my family. Just a few hours ago, we were awarded our New Zealand citizenship papers. Along with some 500 people, we attended our citizenship ceremony at the Bruce Mason Centre. After reciting an oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, we were given our respective certificates of citizenship.
Truth be told, I didn’t have any second thoughts about applying for citizenship in this great country. From the moment I arrived, I have been treated fairly and with respect. New Zealand has given me a second chance at life - to provide something better for my family especially for my children.
This is not to say that I’ve totally forgotten about the land of my birth. I will always hold the Philippines dear in my heart. I am still instilling in my children the positive values of our culture.
Actually, I feel that I have done my fair share in serving the Filipino people as I have worked in the public sector for most of my working life, majority of which I spent with the Office of the President and its attached agencies. I can proudly say that I have served the Philippines with conviction and integrity.
Now that I am a New Zealander, I am now committed to my adoptive country. I now join my fellow Kiwis in continuing to build a stronger independent country. New Zealand’s future is now our future.
April 29th, 2008 03:31
congrats at bona fide kiwi ka na!
linglingbells’s last blog post..weird na panaginip
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
salamat lingling
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April 29th, 2008 13:00
congrats bro…does it mean dual citizenship ka na?
kiwi accent kana ba dyan?! dumudugo ilong ko sa kakaintindi ng accent nyo dyan pati australian
dakilang islander’s last blog post..Sand Sculpture ‘07
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx islander. hindi pwede na automatic dual citizenship kasi kailangan mo mag-apply pa nito sa DFA pagkatapos mo maging citizen ng ibang bansa. dun nga ako nagtataka kung bakit hindi kaagad pwede i-declare pero simple lang ang sagot - kikita nga naman ang gubyerno.
ahehe, minsan di maiwasang magkiwi accent para maintindihan dito pero sa totoo lang hirap din ako nung una na maintindihan sila.
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April 29th, 2008 17:50
pssst! be with you rin!
wow naman kongrats na lang men! kiwiyano ka man by papel, pinoy pa rin by heart!
Lyzius’s last blog post..Anong Oras Na?
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
salamat marekoy, hindi lang sa heart kundi sa atay at balum-balunan pa LOLS
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April 29th, 2008 18:13
parekoi..congrats…pasenxa na mejo delayed mga comment mo…RSS mo lang kasi ayaw mag-update eh…mano-mano pa akong pumupunta sa site mo..
mag-tagalog ka pa rin sa blog parekoi para di maxado dumugo ilong namin..
once again! congrats…
kadeteng civies’s last blog post..Pahinga Muna Anak
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx buff souljah na kadeteng kyut. hmmm, kailangan ko yatang magpaturo sa RSS na yan, hayaan mo pag-aaralan ko (sabi na kasing bopol ako sa blogging e lols). minsan lang pati yang english post, sa totoo lang nakakasawa din yang english kung buong araw mo naririnig
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April 29th, 2008 21:34
wow!! congrats…=) blow out! blow out!.( may kembot pang kasama yan ha!)
rio’s last blog post..URGENT: TYPE AB (-)
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx doc rio. sure blow out kita, kita tayo bukas hehe
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April 30th, 2008 00:06
….congrats po…..
ano po ba ang advantage ng nakakuha ng citizenship kaysa sa residence permit holder lang?
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
salamat arabong pinoy. actually pareho lang ang rights kung permanent resident ka versus citizen ka. ang major advantage lang ng NZ citizenship ay wala ng visa requirements pagpupunta ka sa ibang bansa (yehey pwede na ko magpunta ng US anytime). difference naman ng pr sa citizen ay ganito: kung gagawa ako ng karumaldumal na krimen bilang pr ay makukulong ako tapos madedeport pa, kung citizen ako kulong lang hehe
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April 30th, 2008 02:35
binabati kita..sige na nga Congratulations na lang.. he he he..
Congratulations bro!!!
Basta laging tatandaan: ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, 100% siguradong may stiff neck! lolz..
alam ko namang kiwi ka man ngayon, pero sa kaloob-looban mo, pinoy na pinoy pa rin.. diba..
congratulations ulit!
mangyan ako’s last blog post..HIGANTE
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx bro mangyan, pinoy pa rin hanggang huling patak ng dugo!
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx pareng rj. matutupad din ang mga pangarap mo, ikaw pa.
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April 30th, 2008 03:12
congrats mate….bigatin ka na ngayon kasi new zealander ka na, masaya na naman ang mga katulad mong orcs jan. LOL..sana ako rin maging suisse na. hahaha..asa pa. hayaan mo pag natuloy ako jan, patulong ako sa yo ha. kung ok lang din naman. hehehe..
ponchong’s last blog post..BANGBUS (antukan trip)
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx bro ponchong. oo ba, hanggat kaya tumulong bakit hinde
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April 30th, 2008 14:52
Very well said brother and congratulations to all of you!
Ambo’s last blog post..A Blogger’s Fight, Get Involve?
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx pareng ambo. intriga ako dun sa last post mo tungkol sa nagaaway na bloggers
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April 30th, 2008 15:17
congrats sir! alam ko madami rin kayong pinagdaan bago mo nakuha yan. and you deserve it. all the best for you and your family.
salamat na rin pagbabasa sa blog ko. salamat at naappreciate mo ang mga naisulat ko. salamat din dahil isa ka sa nakaintindi kung bakit kailangan kong i-delete ang blog ko. i value that kind of tolerance and understanding. salamat sir madbong.
hanggang sa muling pagba-blog!
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
parekoy, maraming salamat! alam ko naman babalik ka din sa blogging balang araw, abisuhan mo ko pag may bagong blog ka na. pero habang wala pa keep in touch bro
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April 30th, 2008 16:09
kamusta naman po ang new zealander? wow, congratulations to you and your family. kapag pumasyal kayo ng US of A daanan niyo naman ako dito.
misyel’s last blog post..Creepy
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April 30th, 2008 17:02
congratulations to you and your family
kulot’s last blog post..My last stick of ???
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
tnx misyel, siyempre pupuntahan kita kung magawi ako jan.
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April 30th, 2008 17:28
congratulations na malupit para iyo pare galing mo. naway pagpalain kyo lalo ng iyong pamilya dyan. sanay maging ganyan din ang aking kapalaran pagtagal pa ng panaho. goodluck! =D
R.J.’s last blog post..many times i’ve been alone, many times i’ve cried
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madbong reply on 30 April, 2008:
salamat bro kulot
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April 30th, 2008 23:26
congratulations sa buo nyong family. I’m sure being in NZ is the best thing you can give your kids.
out of curiosity, do you really have to sing the NZ national anthem during the oath? never ko pang narining yon. siguro dapat ngayon pa alng kabisaduhin ko. just in case pakantahin ako ng solo when our time comes.
Jinkee’s last blog post..Ilaw sa tahanan
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May 1st, 2008 00:09
tnx jinkee, kinakanta siya tapos nung oath and awarding of ceremonies. ituturo ko sayo sa sabado hehe
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May 1st, 2008 23:50
wow…KIWI ka na bro?kakaingit naman…ako magpapa citenzenship na din ako….yun nga lang.a.bilang cebuano..lols…i love cebu eh..ahahhahaa….congrats bro..somehow, nalulungkot ako sa post mo. Indi dahil KIWi ka na, pero so sad lang na youre one of the pinoys who chooses other country to live since our country really sucks. ..madami pa rin sa atin ang gustong manirahan aside outside sa country natin..ako gusto ko na din lumabas..pero not now..baka sa africa nalang ako.lols.
Maldito’s last blog post..Ano Gusto Mo Paglaki Mo?
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May 1st, 2008 23:57
congrats…. nakakalungkot man isipin na ang mga kagaya natin (sinali ko na sarili ko) kelangang mag ibang bansa at pakinabangan pa ng ibang bansa pero congratulations na rin….
may kasamang inggit na rin ang pagcongratulate ko sayo kasi gustong gusto ko talagang magwork at tumira dyan.. huhuhu! someday….
ifoundme’s last blog post..the art of letting go
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madbong reply on 2 May, 2008:
salamat parekoy, dapat nga magbabahag ako dun sa citizenship ceremony dahil ine-encourage nila magtraditional dress hehe. seriously bro mas gusto ko pa din tumira sa pinas pero para bang lumalala ang sitwasyon. i-quote ko yung peyborit tita ko na nagmigrate sa US “Its not that I don’t love our country, but I wanted to give my children a better future”
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madbong reply on 2 May, 2008:
marekoy, meron nga akong dapat na takehome na trabaho pero di ko maumpisahan kakabasa ng mga blog.
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May 2nd, 2008 00:25
wala kang ginagawa ano? panay ang pakikipag kulitan mo sa mga retarded! nyahahahaha
Lyzius’s last blog post..ANG GALING NG PINOY!
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madbong reply on 2 May, 2008:
tnx ifoundme, hindi din naman ‘bed of roses’ ang nz, meron din akong mga kilala na bumalik ng pinas dahil di nila nagustuhan dito
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May 2nd, 2008 05:19
hey mate…how are you doing tadaahhyy? hehe pede na ba? yan gusto ko sau eh kaw lang na nakakitang kyut ako..sa june na po ako babalik..hay..ok ba?
kadeteng wafu’s last blog post..New YM ni Buffy
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May 2nd, 2008 16:29
madbong,
do you speak bikol? or esmi lang? (sorry off topic pala) but I remember that last name, i have had a classmate in school di ko lang maremember. Thanks for visiting pala.
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madbong reply on 2 May, 2008:
bakbakan na naman pagbalik mo sa june, ingats parekoy
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May 2nd, 2008 17:41
uy si reynz napadalaw! si esmi lang ang bikolana. salamat din sa pagpunta sa balay ko
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May 4th, 2008 21:14
bangon na po…hang over pa ba? hahaha…tamad gumawa ng assignment
Lyzius’s last blog post..Linggo Ngayon
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arabongpinoy reply on 5 May, 2008:
makikisabat lang po….bicolana pala esmi mo….saan s’ya sa bicol?……
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May 6th, 2008 16:05
@arabong pinoy - bakit ganun nakikita ko comments mo pero ayaw lumabas dito….hmmm. heniways dating taga daet si misis. bikol ka din ba?
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May 6th, 2008 19:18
dati rati ang kiwi lang na alam ko eh pampakintab ng sapatos at yung ibon na mukhang pugo..ngyon pati tao nagiging kiwi na. hanep! mabuhay ka pards!
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May 16th, 2008 20:25
Hi, Congrats on your citizenship. How long ang processing from the time you applied? Soon after din ba yung ceremony?
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