What is the secret behind the Filipino ability to thrive in almost any corner of the globe?

Perhaps it is because Filipinos have quietly stepped into the role of “global mediators.” Beyond providing labor and technical skill, they bring a specific instinct for connection, a brand of empathy that builds bridges across cultures, whether in a hospital ward, a rural farm, or a high-tech boardroom.

This global presence is no accident of history. For decades, the Philippines has recognized its overseas workers not just as economic contributors, but as partners in nation-building and “informal ambassadors” for the country.

In New Zealand, this story is particularly vivid. As the two nations celebrate 60 years of formal diplomatic relations, the bond has evolved into something far deeper than signed treaties. It has become a narrative of shared migration, education, and even surprising indigenous ties between the two cultures.

“It’s a celebration, but also an opportunity,” says Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Kira Christianne D. Azucena, in my recent interview with her. 

For Ambassador Azucena, this 60th anniversary isn’t just a symbolic milestone. She noted that modern diplomacy is no longer confined to hushed conference rooms or stiff state visits. Instead, it lives in communities, universities, and sports arenas. It is “an opportunity to be optimistic about the future and to plan what we want this relationship to be.”

The ambassador’s own journey reflects this human-centric approach to foreign service. A native of Dumaguete City and a graduate of Silliman University, she originally dreamed of becoming a journalist. While she eventually entered the foreign service in 1995, that storyteller’s instinct has followed her throughout a 30-year career spanning Rome, Hong Kong, and New York. 

Having served in the Philippine Mission to the United Nations before being appointed to New Zealand in 2023, her diplomatic style feels refreshingly un-bureaucratic. She views her role not through the lens of paperwork, but through the lens of people.

When I asked what surprised her most about her move to New Zealand, she laughed.

“What surprised me really was the wind,” she admitted. But beyond Wellington’s famous gusts, what struck her more profoundly were the cultural parallels, particularly with Māori communities. “We share so many similar values, like the importance of family, extended family, and how we like to gather around food and celebrate milestones.”

The real diplomats: Filipinos abroad

There is a saying that if embassies formally sustain bilateral relations, it is the overseas Filipinos who emotionally sustain them.

According to Ambassador Azucena, more than 108,000 Filipinos now call New Zealand home. In a country of only five million people, this is a significant footprint. Many have become dual citizens, reflecting a sense of belonging that doesn’t require them to let go of their roots. “Their heart still belongs to the Philippines,” the ambassador noted, emphasizing that they are not merely migrants, but “agents of progress” and true representatives of the Filipino spirit.

I witnessed this first-hand during my own visit to New Zealand, supported by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. In Auckland, I was met with the legendary warmth of the community—in restaurants and local gatherings where stories of resilience and hope were shared freely.

I met academics, entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, and creatives. Despite their diverse career paths, they all shared a singular drive: a desire to remain tethered to the Philippines while simultaneously strengthening  our ties with New Zealand. 

In every way that matters, these individuals have become the real diplomats between the two nations. As this partnership enters a new chapter, the 60th anniversary marks more than just a look back at the past, it marks a significant moment in a bilateral relationship that is increasingly defined by its people.

A partnership entering a new chapter

This year marks a turning point. Following the 2024 visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Manila, both governments agreed to elevate ties into a “comprehensive partnership.”

According to Ambassador Azucena, this means the relationship has matured. “Because our level of trust with each other is already that high… it’s time to look for new [areas of cooperation],” she explained. While agriculture remains a cornerstone, the horizon is expanding into maritime security, sustainability, Indigenous studies, and collaborative education models.

For someone like me, working at the intersection of sustainability, agriculture, and social entrepreneurship, these exchanges feel especially meaningful. There is a beautiful reciprocity here: New Zealand’s strengths in agricultural innovation, Māori-centered governance, and environmental stewardship offer valuable lessons for Filipino institutions and communities. At the same time, the Philippines contributes its own strengths in grassroots resilience, youth leadership, and community-driven innovation.

Why diplomacy still matters

In an age dominated by instant technology and social media, traditional diplomacy can sometimes appear outdated to younger generations. Ambassador Azucena believes the opposite is true.

To her, diplomacy is not simply negotiation. It is the effort to understand why another country thinks and acts the way it does before attempting to solve problems together. 

“For any chance of any conflict to be resolved, there needs to be dialogue,” she concluded. “If you want to have a meaningful conversation… you need to be able to understand where that person is coming from.”

This is precisely why diplomacy remains relevant today—especially in a world shaped by geopolitical tensions, migration issues, climate crises, and cultural polarization.

Young people, she added, have a vital role to play.

“Young minds think differently. They can present more innovative and creative ways.”

Beyond anniversaries

Anniversaries often risk becoming purely ceremonial—a series of speeches and commemorative logos. But the Philippines-New Zealand relationship feels different because it is grounded in real human connections.

It lives in Filipino nurses caring for patients in Auckland. In Māori and Filipino communities discovering shared cultural values over a meal. It lives in students crossing borders to learn, and in researchers collaborating on the climate crisis. Most importantly, it lives in ordinary Filipinos abroad who carry the warmth, humor, and humanity of their homeland wherever they go.

For six decades, the Philippines and New Zealand have built that understanding together. And perhaps that is the true meaning behind this 60th anniversary between New Zealand and the Philippines—that diplomacy is not only practiced by ambassadors and governments. Sometimes, it is practiced quietly by migrants sharing meals, by students building friendships, and by communities choosing understanding over division. – Rappler.com

Ariestelo A. Asilo is TOYM 2021, Asia 21, and PHINMA-DLSU Siklab Fellow. He is the President and CEO of www.varacco.com and www.thinnkfarm.com which operate through social entrepreneurship selling Buy 1 Take 1 Coffee, and creating farmer-scientists in coffee production in Mindanao. Currently, he is taking his Doctorate in Sustainability at the University of the Philippines-Open University and the Chief Executive Officers Program at the Asian Institute of Management. He also has a cat named Libe which he found at the Liberica farm in Cavite. telo@varacco.com