MGA KABABAYAN:

As an aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of 22 February and 11 March 2011 in Christchurch City and in the Miyagi Prefecture in Japan, I thought of coming out with a Directory for Filipinos in New Zealand. This Directory will hopefully enable us to connect and coordinate efforts in events of emergencies, e.g, earthquakes, tsunami, etc. As it would be difficult to predict devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, it is most important that we get prepared and be able to come out with alternative means of accounting ourselves before a state of panic and emergency happens.

For the past two-weeks, I had been circulating similar emails and communiqués, and/or posted in your private walls (facebook account), about this campaign. The first two-weeks though, the first phase of the initiative, focused more on those working, studying (whether in the pre-school programme or in the primary, secondary, university or vocational-technical courses) and/or those who frequently come to the Wellington CBD area (where higher risks have been identified). For those who have favourably signed in and registered, thank you. Please spread the word further.

I have received several requests, and the clamour is getting stronger, that this initiative be expanded to cover those who are also outside the Wellington CBD and to include and encourage any Filipino individual in New Zealand to sign and register in the Directory.

This opens the second phase of the initiative. Everyone is now welcome and encouraged to be counted in the Directory. Collection of personal information through this initiative is consistent with the Privacy Act 1993.

The primary and sole purpose of this initiative is to assist the Philippine Embassy in whatever effort they would plan to undertake in any emergency event that would occur in New Zealand.

Signing in and registering into the Directory is purely voluntary in nature and no compulsion or force will be made on those who would want excluded.

Everyone who signed in will be furnished an e-copy of this directory for their monitoring, guidance and information. I will communicate with you about the specifics of this as we also need to protect the integrity of and secure the documents fro unscrupulous individuals who may take advantage and abuse the information they had been shared with.

Lastly, I would strongly encourage you to extend the message of this initiative to your friends, relatives and acquaintances in New Zealand.
 
To register online go to http://tinyurl.com/pinoys-wellington-cbd link.

For any further query about the initiative, you may contact me personally at ajjvillarante@gmail.com or at 021 033 2760.
 
Cheers
Alan J. Villarante
35 Kahikatea Grove, Paparangi
Wellington