Compiled by Assistant Editor Alfredo G. Evangelista. Send your community briefs to info@filamvoice.com.
Binhi At Ani
Celebrate your special events at Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center. The Center can be rented from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. for $1150 (including the cleaning fee) plus a $300 security deposit; from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $800 (including the cleaning fee) plus a $300 security deposit; or from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. for $950 (including the cleaning fee) plus a $300 security deposit. If alcohol will be provided, there is a $300 additional fee and you must hire two licensed bartenders.
Photo: Ceasar Lizada
The office is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Telephone (808) 877-7880.
Annual Barrio Fiesta
The 54th Annual Barrio Fiesta will be held on Friday, May 26 (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and Saturday, May 27 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Fabulous Filipino Food will be available including balut, banana lumpia, bangus, cascaron, chicharon, dinuguan, empanada longanisa, pansit, pinakbet, pork adobo, pork and peas, and pork lumpia. Select local food will include bbq beef, chow fun and shoyu chicken. Plus Filipino vegetables and fruit!
Photo: Alfredo G. Evangelista
Contests include Any Kine Sisig Contest Cooking Challenge sponsored by Tante’s Island Cuisine (Saturday at 3:30 p.m.; $500 to the winner); The Barrio Fiesta Voice sponsored by Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company (Friday at 8:30 p.m.; $500 to the winner); Barrio Wear Contest sponsored by Rusty & Hedy Udarbe (Saturday at 7 p.m.; $250 to the female winner; $250 to the male winner); Climb the Greased Pole sponsored by K&R Auto Body & Painting LLC (Saturday at 1 p.m.; $500 to the winner); Da Pansit Eating Contest sponsored by Friends of Gil Keith-Agaran with pansit provided by Maria Lanakila Filipino Catholic Club (Saturday at 3 p.m.; $500 to the winner); Do the Sungka sponsored by Johnstone Supply Maui (Saturday at 10:30 a.m.; $500 to the winner); Pabitin sponsored by Friends of Justin Woodson (Friday at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.); and Sabado Art Foundation Keiki Art Party sponsored by Friends of Yuki Lei Sugimura (Saturday at 2 p.m.; $500 to the winner).
Photo: Alfredo G. Evangelista
Photo: Alfredo Evangelista.
Cultural Entertainment will include performances by Assumpta Choir, Dance International Production, La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino, Sto. Niño Club of Maui and Students of Aggie Cabebe. And yes there will be Zumba (Friday at 9:30 p.m. led by Eva Arconado Mirzai and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. led by Ginalyn Dela Cruz).
Photo: Basilia Evangelista
Cultural Villages will include Cebu (presented by Sto. Niño Organization of Maui); Cordillera (presented by Sabado Art Foundation); Ilocos Norte (presented by Julie Cruz); Ilocos Sur (presented by UHMC Kabatak Club); Metro Manila (presented by Philippine Nurses Association of Maui, Hawai‘i); Mindanao (presented by La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino) and Pangasinan (presented by Violy Natividad).
Miss Barrio Fiesta 2023 will be crowned on Friday at 7 p.m. Vying for the crown are Kiara Ganoy and Naeomi Paa. (The final counting will be on May 8.)
Santa Cruzan will be presented on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. including past queens: Miss Barrio Fiesta, Little Miss Barrio Fiesta and Tiny Miss Barrio Fiesta. Confirmed to participate as of press time are Shirley Evangelista (Miss Barrio Fiesta 1970); Nora Cabanilla (Miss Barrio Fiesta 1977); Myrna Baggao (Miss Barrio Fiesta 1978); Miss Ernalin Corpuz (Miss Barrio Fiesta 1981); Chamille Misay (Miss Barrio Fiesta 1990); Vanessa Milan (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2002); Moana-Marie Raquinio (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2006); Joana-Leesa Ped (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2007); Chelsea Guzman (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2011); Sheena Garo (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2015); Sierra-Naomi Cachola Perryman (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2018); Jillian Ped (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2012); Selena Rodrigues (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2014); Christal Bismonte (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2015); Jia Garcia (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2016); Elizabeth Thomas (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2017); Zoe Zane (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2018); Raine Lopez (Little Miss Barrio Fiesta 2019) and Mia Suh (Tiny Miss Barrio Fiesta 2012). The Reyna Elena will be Audryanah Starmer (Miss Barrio Fiesta 2022) while King Constantine will be portrayed by Treysen Manuel. It is not too late to participate in the Santa Cruzan. Please contact Madelyne Pascua at (808) 268-0686.
Special Events will include the Veterans Memorial Service on Saturday at 12 noon and the Outstanding Housekeeping Awards on Saturday at 8 p.m. To date, the following hotels have confirmed their participation: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Aston Kā‘anapali Shores, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel, Maui Beach Hotel, Maui Coast and Plantation Inn. The submission deadline is April 30.
Photo: Alfredo G. Evangelista
A Special Feature will be the Philippine Consulate General staff on-site to answer questions.
The 54th Annual Barrio Fiesta will feature other activities that will be confirmed shortly. The Fiesta will be hosted by Rowena Dagdag-Andaya (Friday evening) and Jeremy Zane (Saturday evening).
Bayanihan Feeding Program
The program provides a Sunday lunch to Hale Mahaolu Residents in Central Maui (Hale Mahaolu Elua and Hale Mahaolu Akahi, which was added in October). As of March 31, a total of 13,682 meals were delivered. Teams serving during March were Miss Maui USA, Philippine Nurses Association of Maui, Hawai‘i and Maui County Federal Credit Union. There is a need for additional teams of volunteers to prepare the free lunches.
Photo courtesy UHMC Kabatak Club
Create a Team by signing up: https://forms.gle/cVUGB6XLmtJi7MVH8. Tax-deductible donations are accepted via Paypal or a Credit/Debit card https://binhiatani.org/donate/ or by mailing a check payable to Binhi at Ani, 780 Onehe‘e Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 [Memo: Feeding Program].
Photo: Claudette Medeiros
Enhance®Fitness for Kupuna at Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center classes are continuing. They are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Enhance®Fitness is a low-cost ongoing evidence-based group exercise and falls prevention program helping older adults at all levels of fitness to become more active, energized and empowered to sustain independent lives. For more information on Enhance®Fitness, contact Enhance®Fitness Coordinator Ginny Kiick (808) 280-6251 or gkiick@hotmail.com or Wellness Coordinator Claudettte Medeiros (808) 463-3166 or claudette.b.medeiros@co.maui.hi.us.
Maui Filipino Community Council
Miss Maui Filipina 2022 Lennel Alvarez recently conducted a Beach Cleanup Day. “I wanted to organize a beach clean up, in collaboration with the Kabatak Club of UHMC, to help with keeping our community clean,” she says. “We worked together to get volunteers from the community, as well as invited the Maui High School Filipino Club. We met at Kahului Beach Road, and together we picked up around 20 bags of trash, a mattress, a tire, and some car parts. I want to thank all those who came from the Kabatak Club, the MHS Filipino Club, my friends, and my family. I could not have done this event without them.”
Photo courtesy Lennel Alvarez
From May 18 through May 27, Lennel will travel to the Philippines in her official capacity as Miss Maui Filipina. “As my trip to the Philippines nears, I put a lot of thought into what I could do in my eight day trip. I plan to visit my parents’ hometowns, Laoag City and Cagayan, and go to the elementary schools where I will donate school supplies,” shares Lennel. “I will also visit the Mayors of both provinces. I will travel to Manila to visit the capital of the Philippines and spend some time there as well. I can’t wait to go back to the Philippines after five years and see my family.”
The 2023 Miss Maui Filipina Scholarship Pageant will be held on June 2, 2023 at Binhi at Ani. The contestants are Kasey Cababat, Sandra Desierto, Johanne Paige Cruz Guevarra and Shyla-Tehara Moore.
Contact Michelle Santos at (808) 264-071 for more information.
The Council will play host to the annual convention of the United Filipino Council of Hawai‘i on Maui on July 21 through July 23 at the Maui Beach Hotel. Chairing the convention is Emi Cortez.
The Council will also host the Miss Hawai‘i Filipina Scholarship Pageant at the Maui Beach Hotel on July 22. Chairing the pageant is Michelle Santos.
UHMC Kabatak Club
UHMC Kabatak Club held a successful carwash fundraiser on March 18 to fund future events. Volunteers, including club advisors, officers, and members, were determined to wash over 60 vehicles ranging from SUVs to big cargo vans. Customers enjoyed homemade banana lumpia sold for $5 per 3 pieces, and banana cue sold for $4 for two skewers upon submitting their tickets as volunteers washed, brushed, rinsed, and dried their cars. Although under the blazing sun, volunteers persevered to make cars look good as new.
Photo left courtesy UHMC Kabatak Club
Photo right: Alfredo G. Evangelista
UHMC Kabatak Club meets every other Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the UHMC Student Lounge. Join their next meeting on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 or on May 2, 2023 as they share food, play games and learn more about the Filipino culture.