A Busy Time for the Philippine Consulate General
With the end of the year fast approaching, there’s often a rush to complete a variety of tasks. At the Philippine Consulate, there’s a lot of truth to that.
In early October, Hawai‘i welcomed Senator Imee Marcos and her contingent of Mayors and other local government officials. The Consulate was at the forefront to ensure Senator Marcos was properly hosted. Included in Senator Marcos’ brief stay was a short hop to Maui to meet with some thirty Lahaina fire survivors and relatives of fatalities. Many thanks to our friends on Maui, especially Fred Evangelista as well as Tante and Telly Urban of Tante’s Island Cuisine, who hosted and helped coordinate the arrangements at such a very short notice.
Photo: Lawrence Pascua
Fresh on the heels of Senator Marcos’ visit, the staff is preparing for the visit to O‘ahu by His Excellency Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines. The Consulate’s three efficient officers—Consul Pam Bailon, Consul Grace Bulos and Vice Consul Leizel Caasi—have been tasked with coordinating the President’s engagement with representatives of Hawai‘i’s Filipino community throughout the State and activities at the US Indo-Pacific Command. As one can imagine, it is not an easy task for so many reasons.
President Marcos will arrive on O‘ahu on Saturday, Nov. 18, after attending the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco, California. The President’s attendance to the APEC Summit is important for the Philippines as it serves as the country’s primary forum for official engagements with other economies in the Asia Pacific region. APEC economies play a significant role in the Philippines, accounting for 85 percent of the country’s total exports and imports, and approximately 56 percent of the foreign direct investments that entered the country.
Photo courtesy Philippine Consulate General of Honolulu
Top Photo: Benjie Arista | Bottom Photo: Angie Santiago
From Nov. 2 through 5, several Consular staff officials, led by Consul Grace Bulos, returned to Maui to continue to aid the Lahaina fire survivors. This was the third visit to Maui by the Consulate’s staff. Along with the provision of consular services, the staff was able to meet with representatives of the Language Services Hawai‘i, Maui Emergency Management Agency and Ballard Mortuary to assist with the repatriation of remains to the Philippines. Moreover, close to US $10,000 in additional financial assistance was distributed to over thirty beneficiaries who were affected by the wildfires.
Alongside these special responsibilities and the normal day-to-day duties as Consul General, I attended several community events, including the 21st Bayanihan Gala of the Filipino Community Center on October 14, the Dabawenyos Community Foundation (DCF) 30th Anniversary Gala on Oct. 21 and the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Filipino Business Women’s Association (FBWA) on Oct. 28. Congratulations to Lyn Tampon of DCF and Margie Berueda of FBWA for assuming the helm of their respective organizations.
Photo courtesy Philippine Consulate General of Honolulu
Photo courtesy Philippine Consulate General of Honolulu
On Nov. 9, I was the guest of business leader Robin Campaniano during the Aloha Beer Co. presents Tulong for Lahaina® Fundraising Golf Tournament at the Hoakalei Country Club. The golf tournament raised over $40,000 for Binhi at Ani’s Tulong for Lahaina® Fund. While our threesome—Robin Campaniano, Nestor Garcia and I—did not place in the top ten, we all had a great time for a very good cause. Thanks to First Hawaiian Bank for sponsoring our team.
As we near the end of 2023, let us keep in mind the myriad of blessings that we should be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, my dear kababayans.
Emil T. Fernandez is the current Consul General of the Philippines stationed in Honolulu. He graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management Economics. Prior to his appointment to Hawai‘i, Fernandez served as Deputy Consul General in Frankfurt, Germany. His other foreign assignments included Washington, D.C. (2010–2016), Santiago, Chile (2005–2008) and Caracas, Venezuela (2002–2005). In Manila, Fernandez held several important positions, including Executive Director of the Office of Asian & Pacific Affairs (2016–2018), Director for Southern Europe of the Office of European Affairs (2009–2010), Special Assistant to the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations (2008–2009) and Acting Director of the Office of ASEAN Affairs (1999–2001).