Eighteen years after arriving in New Zealand on a visitor’s visa, Dennis is proud to call the country home. Upon his arrival, Dennis made it his mission to find a job so that his family, who were back in the Philippines at the time, could make the move, too. With a focus on their vision for the future, and having bravely faced the challenges of migrating to a new country, he believes it’s all been worth it.
Photography by Emily Chalk
“It's quiet, peaceful, and it's good for raising a family. So that's the main reason why,” Dennis says, reflecting his desire to settle in New Zealand. Dennis and his wife, Grace, came here “for the future of our kids.” The couple has five wonderful children: Denny Grace, 30; Denisce, 28; Joven Carlo, 27; Dennis Jr., 20, who works as a groomer at Honda Store Newmarket; and Jhaeden Grace, who was born here and is now 11.
Dennis grew up in Tarlac, a city in northern Philippines that he describes as “a busy place”, much like the capital of Manila. He had already been living overseas in Dubai when he stepped onto the long-haul flight to New Zealand that would change the course of his family’s life forever. “I came here to visit my sister, and then I tried to look for a job. I didn’t want to go back.”
But the dream of moving across the world isn’t always reflected in reality. From navigating ever-changing immigration requirements to the stress of setting up finances and accommodation, the long process of settling in and adjusting to a new culture can be, at times, rather gruelling.
“I didn’t have a job, and we were struggling, especially financially,” Dennis admits. In time though, he found his feet. Having secured a role in construction, his wife, and kids were finally able to join him for “a new start, a new life.”
Inspired by the generous help Dennis received from a fellow Filipino migrant, he created the Facebook group, ‘Buhay Estudyante sa New Zealand’, meaning ‘Student Life in New Zealand’. Keenly aware of the thousands of Filipino students coming to study in New Zealand each year, Dennis wanted to provide the same support he received to others - at scale. With students situated throughout the country, the group serves as a way for them to communicate with one another, Dennis explains: “So whatever the problem is, they post there if they need anything.”
‘Anything’ can often be the bare essentials. Students might seek a heater or blankets when winter sets in, or simply need vital furniture for their new home. Those who were once in the same position will reach out to Dennis to pay it forward to the new arrivals. “The Filipino community, they see what I'm doing. So, they just ring me or message me: ‘Oh Dennis, we have a fridge here’ or ‘We have a couch here. Can you please collect and give it to this new migrant?’” Dennis says with pride.
Always going above and beyond for his people, when someone is in hospital Dennis will pay them a visit to make sure they’re okay. “If they’re struggling, especially financially, I'll post about them on Facebook. If I post the account number, people will make a deposit in their account,” he says, like it really is that simple. “There's a lot of generous Filipino here.”
Eleven years on from the group’s creation and over 9,600 members later, Dennis estimates that he’s personally helped over 1,000 people establish a new life in New Zealand. Deservedly recognised as a community hero, Dennis was one of the Global Pinoy Idol New Zealand award recipients in 2019 for his contributions to helping migrant students. “Most of the students I’ve helped, I think they now have their residency. They’ve actually even got their citizenship,” he says with pride.
Dennis has often been instrumental in connecting people with job opportunities too, like Allan Vivero. Dennis passed Allan's CV onto Honda Store Newmarket, where he's worked as a Sales Ambassador for nearly three years now.
More than just a good sort, Dennis is a local hero. “I'm so proud because I see all their hard work.” Sometimes people who have migrated here can feel very isolated and alone, he explains. Dennis’ corner of the internet is their solace in an otherwise challenging time. “During those times that they are very low, they don't know what to do — we are here for them, we support them. They survive all these trials, or those hard times, and they overcome them.”
While the journey for migrants isn’t always easy, Dennis insists that it’s worth it for the promise of a brighter future. “The main thing we say to new Filipinos who come here: connect to our community.”
That sense of connection amongst each other, it seems, is an integral part of what it means to be Filipino. “Our community, we support every one of us.”
There’s a lot of people doing what I’m doing now, too – they use me as an inspiration.
