A Philippine family with a love of cold weather and the "friendly streets'' of Dunedin were among 39 people to become New Zealand citizens at a ceremony in Dunedin yesterday.
The Baltazar family, originally of Manila, moved to Dunedin three years ago so four of the five family members could study at the University of Otago.
Ana and Patricia studied biochemistry, Isabel completed a degree in computer science and their father, Raymund, was completing a master's in data science.
Mr Baltazar said Dunedin had become "home''.
"My parents even visited last year and they liked it better than where they live in the States.
"Everything is close by, it is walkable, not too big, not too small.''
However, the Baltazars still missed the Philippines and the women in the family paid homage to their birthplace by wearing the terno, the Philippine national dress, during the citizenship ceremony.
The ornate dresses were particularly special because they had belonged to Mr Baltazar's grandmother, who was married to a Philippine politician.
"They are probably 50 years old,'' he said.
The family had to give up their Philippine citizenship to become New Zealand citizens, but said they were now New Zealanders and Filipinos.
"I'm still a Filipino.
"Wherever I go I'll still be a Filipino, too,'' Mr Baltazar said.
All the family members but Isabel lived in Dunedin.
"I had to move to Auckland for a job,'' she said.
"But I keep saying that Dunedin is better than Auckland.
"It is a great place.''
Miss Baltazar hoped to move back to Dunedin one day.
Other new citizens were. - Maureen and Douglas Booth (Australia), Ryan Bosch (South Africa), William Clifford (Ireland), Kari Clifford (America), Harsha De Silva (Sri Lanka), Iain Donaldson (United Kingdom), Daphne Goh (Malaysia), Lyka Guy-Ab (Philippines), Agus, Peter, Thomas and Marco Hartono (Belgium), Bryce Holtshousen (South Africa), Matloob Husain (India), Alannah and Kailen Knott (United Kingdom), Michael Kohler (Germany), Divina, Stacey, Natasha, Ferdinand and Romeo Kolimlim (Philippines), Priyangika Konthasingha (Sri Lanka), Alice Laws (Australia), Susan MacDonald (Australia), Amy Macintosh (United Kingdom), Ethan Marshall (Australia), James Parry (United Kingdom), Adam Pope (United Kingdom), Maria and Dante Rioveros (Philippines) and Grigory Velichko (Russia).
