About the Consulate General
History of the Property:
The first office of the Consulate General was inaugurated on 30 December 1946 at the Dento Medical Building at 36 South Kukui Street in Honolulu in the island of Oahu. On 05 January 1947, the consular office opened to the public. Subsequently, it moved to its present address at 2433 Pali Highway after the Philippine Government leased the old Horner mansion in 1948. In 1961, the Philippine Government through Consul General Juan Dionisio, purchased the property from the Philippine Memorial Foundation Limited, a non-profit organization wholly owned by Filipinos in Honolulu.
At its inception in January 1947, the Philippine Consulate General was accredited with the United States. Hawaii was then a trust territory. It became the fiftieth (50th) state of the United States of America on 21 August 1959.
The building, of Southern colonial style, at 2433 Pali Highway has been the site of the Philippine Consulate General since 1948. The Consulate was formally opened on 14 November of that year at a reception hosted by Consul General and Mrs. Modesto Farolan.
The Philippine Consulate was formerly the home of Albert Horner, a sugar industry executive. Mr. Horner purchased the property in 1913 from the estate of William Pfotenhauer, a German Consul and Vice President of Hackfeld and Company.
In October 1948, the Philippine Memorial Foundation purchased the property which originally consisted of 57,000 square feet of land. The Foundation sold a portion of the property (11,395 square feet) to the territory of Hawaii for the construction of Pali Highway. The remaining area (now approximately 46,000 square feet) together with the building was donated to the Republic of the Philippines on 19 May 1961. Between the time of its purchase and acquisition, the property had been rented by the Republic of the Philippines.
In 1993, the Philippine Government renovated the Chancery, spending approximately $ 300,000.00 for its refurbishment.
In 2018, the Philippine Government embarked on a $6 million project to construct a Consular Annex building and again renovate the Chancery. Construction of the Consular Annex building commenced in November 2019 and was completed on 29 October 2020. Renovation of the Chancery began in December 2020 and was completed on 01 June 2021.
Description of Significant Architectural Design / Features
The Chancery, originally constructed in 1905, is an imposing two-story white mansion built in semi-colonial style and highlighted by four (4) Ionic columns at its front entrance. It has an 83-square foot basement at the first level accessible via a trap door. It also has two primary floors and an attic. According to City records, the building, made of double wood construction, was completed in 1906.
The mansion’s ground floor is elevated from the garden level. The south and east corner of the building’s ground floor is encircled by a lanai or a terrace, a typical feature of Hawaiian architecture.
The main doorway opens to a high-ceilinged vestibule. Originally, there were four large rooms on the ground floor: the sun room next to the porch on the east side; the large middle room was the social room and entertainment room; the drawing room or music room, and the dining room. The two smaller rooms on the ground floor were the kitchen and a bathroom.
A 4,100-square foot covered area with tiled floor at the rear of the building houses a stage for outdoor functions.
Adjacent to the mansion is the 4,131-square foot Consular Annex which was completed on 01 June 2021. The Annex is a two-story building constructed with modern materials in a look and style that conforms to the 1905 Chancery.
Several tall and majestic palm trees adorn the grounds which have been part of the property since the land was transferred to private ownership.
Significance in PH Diplomatic History/PH-Host Country Diplomatic Relations
The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu was one of the earliest Consulates General to be established by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Its establishment is as old as the diplomatic relations of the Philippines with the United States of America, a close ally and strategic partner.
Due to Hawaii’s strategic location in the Pacific and the presence of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the continued expansion of Hawaii’s economy, and the presence of more than 350,000 Filipinos in the State, the Consulate’s role is vital in actively promoting Philippine interests.
More than a dozen Philippine Consuls General have been posted in Honolulu since 1946. The first Consul General was Modesto Farolan. Following is a table of all Consuls General in Honolulu.
CONSUL GENERAL | DATES SERVED |
Modesto Farolan | December 1946 to December 1948 |
Aureliano Quitoriano | January to December 1949 |
Manuel Alzate | December 1949 to April 1952 |
Pedro Ramirez | April 1952 to June 1953 |
Emilio Bejasa | July 1953 to August 1957 |
Juan Dionisio | September 1957 to January 1962 |
Alejandro Yango | January 1962 to June 1966 |
Trinidad Alconcel | July 1966 to September 1972 |
Vicente Romero | December 1972 to December 1975 |
Trinidad Alconcel | January 1976 to May 1984 |
Raul Ch. Rabe | June 1984 to April 1986 |
Tomas Gomez III | April 1986 to December 1989 |
Solita M. Aguirre | February 1992 to November 1996 |
Minerva Jean Falcon | December 1996 to November 2000 |
Rolando Gregorio | December 2000 to December 2005 |
Ariel Y. Abadilla | December 2005 to June 2009 |
Leoncio R. Cardenas, Jr. | July 2009 to November 2011 |
Julius D. Torres | December 2011 to April 2014 |
Gina A. Jamoralin | July 2014 to January 2018 |
Joselito A. Jimeno | February 2018 to October 2021 |
Emilio T. Fernandez | November 2021 to 16 August 2024 |