PRESS RELEASE NO. 06-2022
7 February 2022, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA – The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu lent its support to FilCOM CARES, which conducted a Radiothon on Saturday, 5 February 2022 from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM with the theme “COVID-19 Informational Sources: Life’s Balance.” Consul General Emil Fernandez and Consul Grace Bulos joined other distinguished guests during the event, which was broadcast live over four (4) Honolulu-based radio stations, namely, KNDI 1270 AM, KKNE 940 AM, KPHI 96.7 FM and KPHI 1130 AM and Facebook Live.
In his message, Consul General Fernandez emphasized that while the Consulate’s mandate is to provide consular services, it also has a social responsibility role to play. The Consulate’s partnership with Filcom CARES in addressing COVID-19 is one that it enthusiastically supports as it greatly benefits the Filipino community.
In citing the latest State of Hawaii Department of Health Statistics on infections and deaths, he noted that the Filipino community has the third highest number of infections and highest number of deaths statewide. Despite the grim statistics, Consul General Fernandez encouraged the audience to remain hopeful. “We must continue to hold on to hope - hope that we will be able to see loved ones we have not seen in a long time, hope that will be able to freely move and travel, and hope that one day the pandemic will end,” he said.
The Consul General added that “We are in a better place now than we were in 2019 and the start of 2020. Even with surges caused by the Delta and Omicron variants, our greatest weapon against COVID-19 are the vaccines that were thankfully developed by experts in record time. We are fortunate that vaccines here in Hawaii are adequate in supply and easily accessible.”
With vaccination as a proven measure to address COVID-19, he encouraged those who have yet to be vaccinated to do so, and if eligible, get boosted. Aside from vaccination, he also echoed what health experts advise to address COVID-19, including masking, physically distancing and washing regularly.
Consul Grace Bulos talked about the latest travel regulations based on the latest resolutions issued by the Philippines’ Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. While the removal of the mandatory quarantine for fully-vaccinated inbound travelers to the Philippines is welcome news, she reminded that the pandemic is still ongoing and travel regulations can always change depending on the health situation. She advised the audience to exercise flexibility when making travel plans and check for updates on travel regulations from official sources such as the websites and social media pages of the Consulate (https://honolulupcg.dfa.gov.ph) and the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration (https://immigration.gov.ph/).
Aside from Consul General Fernandez and Consul Bulos, other guests in the Radiothon included Hawaii Lt. Governor Josh Green, Joint Legislative Filipino Caucus Co-Chairs Hawaii State Senator Bennette Misalucha and Hawaii State Representative Henry Aquino, FilCOM CARES Co-Chairs Dr. Agnes Malate and Dr. Amy Agbayani, Filipino Community Center Board of Directors Chair Edmund Aczon and Executive Director Donnie Juan, Filipino community leaders, doctors and youth.
FilCOM CARES is a project of the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu, Hawaii. It strives to address the significant impact of COVID-19 by providing outreach, education, resources, vaccination and testing opportunities to Filipino communities across the State of Hawaii.
The full Radiothon broadcast may viewed on the following link to the Philippine Consulate General Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/100008788386699/videos/1012705162657876.
Consul General Emil T. Fernandez delivers his message of hope during the FilCOM CARES Radiothon.
Consul Grace Bulos (upper left) talks about the latest travel regulations to the Philippines. Also in the photo are FilCOM CARES Radiothon hosts Clemen Montero and Jovanie Dela Cruz.
