PRESS RELEASE NO. 03-2021
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 8 February 2021 – OFW Town Hall, a virtual “kamustahan” (kamusta meaning “how are you”) organized by the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs, brought hosts Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola and Undersecretary for Strategic Communication and Research Ernesto C. Abella to Hawaii on 5 February 2021 (4 February 2021 in Hawaii).
In his opening statement, Consul General Joselito A. Jimeno mentioned the Consulate’s contributions to Philippine foreign policy through engagements various stakeholders in the local government, military, business, academe, socio-civic organizations, and the Filipino community. He gave a brief overview of the Filipino community and how they have fared during the pandemic. He stated that the Consulate’s intergenerational and intersectoral engagement with the Filipino community is anchored on the strategic priorities to empower and uplift the image of the Philippines and the Filipino people.
The Consulate invited a number of Filipino community leaders to participate in the event, namely Hawaii State Senator Bennette Misalucha; Dr. Dr. Agnes Malate, Director, Health Careers Opportunity Program of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa; Ms. Sheryl Yoshimura, Special Projects Manager, and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at the Kokua Kalihi Valley Health Center and Wahiawa Center for Community Health; and Ms. Gemma Weinstein, President of the Unite Here Local 5 Union.
Senator Misalucha gave a brief overview about how the Filipino community had grown from the first 15 sakadas who came to work in Hawaii’s sugar and pineapple plantations at the turn of the century to being the second largest ethnic community in the state today. She said, however, that the numbers do not exactly equate to political power. Attributing the community’s “invisibility” to “hiya” (being timid or ashamed), she advocated to “leave hiya behind and be honest to tell legislators about our lives, our pains and troubles.” She challenged the more than 250 Filipino community organizations in Hawaii to be united. She encouraged them to “tell politicians what we care about,” share their problems, and show up and testify at hearings so solutions to issues can be arrived at collectively. She mentioned the organization of the joint Filipino caucus in the Hawaii legislature, which can assist the community.
Senator Misalucha surmised that language barriers, lack of time, and prioritizing one’s needs as the reasons for Fillipinos not to be actively involved in community issues. Given these obstacles, the senator stressed the importance of nurturing a sense of patriotism, particularly for second generation Filipinos, and encouraged them to visit the Philippines to learn more about their roots and culture
Dr. Malate shared how the Filipino Community Center in Honolulu partnered with The Legal Clinic and Ethnic Education Hawaii to come up with the FILCOM/TLC CARES Project. The Project rose out of a need to consolidate information and resources in English, Filipino and Ilocano regarding COVID-19. It succeeded in providing information on the pandemic on the FilCom Center website. Information dissemination done through radio, social media, flyers and webinars reached an audience of 780,000. The endeavor also provided community services, including testing. Nine free COVID-testings were conducted in partnership with the University of Hawaii JABSOM Tropical Medicine Clinical Laboratory, Premier Medical Group Hawaii, Project Vision and Wahiawa Health. What struck Dr. Malate in this endeavor is how Filipinos have come together in a time of crisis.
Ms. Yoshimura gave a glimpse of what is transpiring on the ground, given her role as an essential worker. Many of her patients are first or second-generation Filipinos. A silver lining of the pandemic is that patients now have more time to take care of their health. Pre-COVID, her patients had multiple jobs and were more preoccupied with work. Health insurance was not really an issue since they had it, but lacked the time to go and see their primary doctors. The pandemic also made healthcare workers adjust and resort to telehealth, which was well-received by patients.
She supported Senator Misalucha’s theory of “hiya,” and mentioned the hesitancy of some to undergo testing because it would take them away from work due to quarantine. Those who became unemployed are also embarrassed to avail of welfare and instead resorted to using their savings. For Ms. Yoshimura, an important lesson of the pandemic is that “we have to be responsible for each other.”
Ms. Weinstein gave updates on developments in the tourism, hospitality and services sectors, which continues to be greatly affected by the pandemic. She informed the audience that 70% of its union members are employed in hotels, 12% in food services and 12% in healthcare. Sixty percent of union members are Filipinos. Around 8,000 of the union’s 12,000 members have lost their jobs.
More than “hiya,” Ms. Weinstein recalled that in her case it was fear that immobilized her when she first came to Hawaii. She eventually overcame her fear to successfully head the Unite Here Local 5 Union. She was proud to say that the union’s collective bargaining agreement has enabled it to help its members navigate the pandemic. The union has also partnered with the Catholic Church, and other organizations to help its members with their rent or mortgage, food, and other expenses. She affirmed the union’s commitment to continue doing what it can to help workers. She also thanked Senator Misalucha for stating Filipino legislators offer to be of assistance.
Undersecretaries Arriola and Abella noted how different the perspectives of the Filipino community in Hawaii were compared to those in countries with a high concentration of OFWs. They also commended the speakers for the pride in their Filipino roots and values and how they have contributed to the Philippines’ success story through their achievements.
The video broadcast of Hawaii OFW Town Hall may be viewed on the Facebook pages of the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu and OFWHelpPH.
