Angelo Tuyay was nominated for a Posthumous Filipino-Kiwi Hero Award in 2019.
By former Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand – Jesus Domingo
The Philippine Embassy in Wellington and Philippine Consulate in Auckland joined the Filipino Community in mourning the passing of beloved Auckland Filipino Community leader Angelo Tuyay.
As reported in New Zealand media, Angelo had heroically saved two young girls on 14 October 2018 at Hot Water Beach, Coromandel, during a family swimming outing. Angelo had rushed to them unhesitatingly as they screamed for help and had been able to push them towards the shore.
However, Angelo had drowned right after he had rescued the girls.Angelo, fisheries graduate from the University of the Philippines–Diliman and an economics degree holder from San Sebastian College, had achieved early professional success as an Operations Manager for the La Tondeña group in Manila. However, he dropped everything to pursue and woo the love of his life, Charina and followed her to New Zealand in 1989.
After their marriage Angelo had to start again from the proverbial bottom. He first worked with Fonterra, the NZ Dairy Conglomerate. Then, as his passion was agriculture, Angelo established a small farm in Ararimu, Drury, in Auckland, followed by an even larger livestock farm in Ngatea, Hauraki District, in Napier.
Charina is a tax auditor and real estate broker by profession and established a number of successful businesses with Angelo. As devoted parents, Angelo and Charina have three sons, Andrew, Aaron and Allen, and one grandson, Noah. Angelo’s parents Angel and Violeta, his twin brother Peter and sisters Angie and Gigi are also all in New Zealand. His siblings, like their late brother, are all successful professionals and fine examples of the attainment of ‘the Kiwi Dream’.
But if Angelo himself were to be asked, he would say that his main job was to “serve the Lord and my fellow men” as Area Leader of the Catholic Organisation Couples for Christ (CFC) for the Bay of Plenty. As an independent farmer and businessman, he had the flexibility to devote much of his time to mentoring and humanitarian work. He was a beloved father figure not only to his immediate family, but to the overall Filipino Community in the Greater Auckland and Bay of Plenty regions.
Tributes by his friends and family attest to Angelo’s outstanding and exemplary character. Bro. Bong and Sis. Maimai Sirilan of CFC shared that “… Angelo was a loving, caring, responsible father; a patient, polite, respectful, loving and thoughtful husband; and a sincere, loyal and thoughtful friend. As a leader in Couples For Christ, as a true servant of God, he said that he would sacrifice himself for the sake of others. In fact he once said to our son that he would sacrifice his life to save a child … and this happened to him. Bro. Angelo, Rest In Peace, you will be always in our memories …”
The Philippine Embassy worked closely with Angelo’s friends and family to honour Angelo’s sacrifice and leadership as an inspiration to fellow Filipino-Kiwis and the Global Filipino Diaspora.
