Compiled by Assistant Editor Alfredo G. Evangelista. Send your community briefs to info@filamvoicemaui.com.
Binhi at Ani
Celebrate your special events at Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center. The Center can be rented on Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. for $1,400 (which includes the cleaning fee) plus GET and a $500 security deposit or from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. for $1,200 (which includes the cleaning fee) plus GET and a $500 security deposit.
On Sundays, the Center can be rented from 1:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. for $1,050 (which includes the cleaning fee) plus GET and a $500 security deposit.
If alcohol is provided and/or served, there is an additional fee of $300 and you must hire two licensed bartenders.
If alcohol is BYOB or placed in coolers, there is an additional fee of $500.
The office is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays by appointment only. Telephone (808) 877-7880.
Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at The Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course. A Platinum Sponsorship (eight golfers) is available at $1500 while a Gold Sponsorship (four golfers) is available at $800. Tee sponsorships are available at $250 and cash donations are also accepted.
Those who submit their paid application by Feb. 6, 2026 will be entered into an early bird drawing sponsored by Friends of Yuki Lei Sugimura. Island Honda is sponsoring a $25,000 hole-in-one prize at Hole #17. There will be a Jack-Pot at hole #3 (additional entry fee of $20) and a Jack-Pot at hole #8 (additional entry fee of $20). There will be Closest to the Pin prizes on holes #3 and #8 and On-The-Green contests on holes #6 and #17. The grand prize will be donated by Philippine Airlines (economy airfare to Manila).
The deadline is February 15 but don’t wait until then as this tournament is expected to be sold out.
All net proceeds from the golf tournament funds Binhi at Ani’s annual scholarship programs. In 2025, Binhi at Ani awarded $31,000 in scholarship grants to twenty-three outstanding 2025 high school graduates.
For more information, contact Tournament Chairperson Alfredo Evangelista at (808) 242-8100 or AlfredoGEvangelista@gmail.com.
Bayanihan Feeding Program provides a Sunday lunch to Hale Mahaolu Residents in Central Maui (Hale Mahaolu Elua and Hale Mahaolu Akahi) and Maui Adult Day Care.
Through December 31, 2025, a total of 41,407 lunches have been distributed.
Teams serving during the month of December 2025 include Central Pacific Bank, Confederation International Association of Samahang Ilocano Group, Maui County Federal Credit Union, Philippine Nurses Association Maui Hawaii and Seventh Day Adventist (Kīhei and Lahaina).
There is a need for additional teams of volunteers to prepare the free lunches. Create a Team by contacting Melen Agcolicol at (808) 205-7981. Tax-deductible donations are accepted via Paypal or a Credit/Debit card or by mailing a check payable to Binhi at Ani, 780 Onehe‘e Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 [Memo: Feeding Program].
The Bayanihan Feeding Program is a partnership with Maui Food Bank and is supported by grants from Bayer Crop Science Hawai‘i and Nareit Hawai‘i.
Enhance®Fitness for Kūpuna at Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center classes are continuing. Offered in partnership with the County of Maui, Office on Aging, classes are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.; from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.; from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Enhance®Fitness is an exercise program for those over 50 years of age that improves cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and balance. Since July 2022 and through May 2025, there have been 944 classes with seventy-five participants. 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.
Scholarship. Applications for Binhi at Ani’s Scholarship Program for graduating 2026 high school students are now available through the portal: https://baa2026application.paperform.co/.The deadline is 4 p.m. HST on Friday, March 13, 2026. (Late submissions will be automatically disqualified.) The eligibility requirements are: 1) must be a resident of the island of Maui; 2) must be scheduled to graduate in 2026 from a high school on Maui with a cumulative grade point average (through the 1st semester of 2025) of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale; and 3) must complete the application as instructed and provide all required documents. An independent panel of judges will base their decisions on grade point average (30%), activities, awards, honors, and employment (30%), a short essay (30%), and letters of recommendation (10%). The recipient or a family member must be present at the awarding ceremony (The Seed and Harvest Dinner) on July 9, 2026. For more information, contact Scholarship Chairperson Edward Garcia at (808) 269-2777.
Maui Filipino Community Council and Maui Filipino Community Council Foundation
The Maui Filipino Community Council and the Maui Filipino Community Council Foundation recently held the Dr. José P. Rizal Scholarship Dinner 2025–’26: Leadership Awards, Installation of Officers & Filipiniana Gala at the Maui Beach Hotel Ballroom. The Leadership Awards honored individuals who exemplify the courage, intellect and compassion of the Philippine national hero, Dr. José P. Rizal. The event also served as a fundraiser for the MFCC Foundation that will provide scholarships for deserving high school graduates pursuing higher education.
The honorees were: Distinguished Service: Tante Urban; Outstanding Citizen: Nestor Ugale, Jr.; Outstanding Youth: Angel Alba; Outstanding Member: Perlita Manlansing; Excellence in the Arts: Lance Collins, Ph.D.; Excellence in Education: Sydney Villegas, Ph.D.; Excellence in Medicine: Dr. Gloria Rongcal Gage; Excellence in Literature & Media: Vince G. Bagoyo, Jr. and Excellence in Science: Alvin “Kai” Pelayo.
The evening also featured a Filipiniana Attire Gala. The winners were Chloe Sta. Maria for the Filipiniana womens attire and Reynaldo Ramos for the men’s Barong Tagalog contest.
Last, the 2026 MFCC Board of Directors were installed by Mayor Richard Bissen. Among them present were Lawrence Pascua, President; Cherry Respicio Urias, Recording Secretary, Marilyn M. Romero, Corresponding Secretary, Judith Piano, Treasurer; Aileen Concepcion, Assistant Treasurer; Virgilio “Leo” Agcolicol, Auditor and Directors Cornelio “CJ” Ancheta, Emerita “Emi” Cortez, Melanie Garde, Domingo “Jing” Gumpal, Arthur Latayada, Elmer Tolentino and Bart Santiago, Sr.; also, Greg Peros, Honorary Director and Madelyne G. Pascua, Immediate Past President. Those who could not be present were Michelle L. Santos, Vice President, Antonio V. Ramil, Esq (Ret.), Honorary Director and Benjamin Acob, Esq., Legal Counsel.