September 2017 · Vo l1 N o7 FREE insidefilamvoicemaui.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/fav... ·...

tral Maui and whose father,Manuel Coloma, was a1946 Sakada.

The plight of the Sakadasand the difficult and unfair

working conditions led to thefirst Filipino labor union in1911 organized by PabloManlapit of Kaua‘i. In the fol-

age of five (Lila Balbina, LilaHonorata, and Lila Justina),and others in our extendedfamily tree like Uncle Crispuloand Uncle Melquiadez. Whenwe celebrate my Dad’s birth-day or his death anniversary,we have to make sure weatang his favorite drinks ofroot beer, cream soda, andsprite. (He was not too muchof a beer or whiskey drinker).

I will admit that as a localborn Filipino, I’m not com-pletely aware of all Filipinotraditions and superstitions.My spoken Ilokano is what Icall pidgin Ilokano and myfriend Danilo (or hisAmericanized name Dan-ny) Agsalog claims that I

am sadut... in speakingIlokano. Danilo places me inthe company of non-fluentIlokano speaking local boyGilbert Samuel ColomaKeith-Agaran as sadutspeakers of Ilokano. When myclients ask me if I can speakIlokano, I can reply bassit lat-ta. Of course when they askme if I can speak Tagalog, Ireply hindi. So far I’ve beenlucky because no one hasasked me if I can speak Ig-orot, Kapampangan, Visayan,or any of the other 70-plusPhilippine languages that Iwouldn’t know how to re-spond.

But even though I don’t

henever the Evan-gelista clan gathersat my 93 year old

Mom’s home on South PapaAvenue in Kahului (the pinkhouse), my Mom insists thatbefore we eat or drink any-thing, we have to atang.

Atang from what I under-stand is an offering to our de-ceased family members. Aspart of the atang tradition, myMom Catalina GonzalesEvangelista taught me, weinvite our departed loved onesto partake in our food.

Umaykayon amin, awan tiablablabas. “Come all, no oneis left out” is the call to thespirits of our family memberswho have gone before us, likemy Dad Elias, my brother Ro-gelio, my sister Lolita, mygrandparents (Martin andMargarita on my Mom’s side;Cirilo and Petra on my Dad’sside), my uncles (especiallyMariano and Pascual whowere “ordered” by my Dadand Mom), my niece Jolita,and of course my great auntswho hanai’d my Mom at the

he first Monday in Sep-tember is celebrated asLabor Day, a federal

and state holiday and yes, oneof the few days that Costco isclosed. For most folks, LaborDay is a three-day weekend togo camping, hold beach bar-becues (steaks, hot dogs andhamburgers), have familygatherings, and even take ashort vacation to O‘ahu or LasVegas.

Labor Day, which became afederal holiday in 1894–al-most 125 years ago, honorsthe organized labor move-ment. For Filipinos in Hawai‘i,the labor movement has beenan integral part of our com-

munity’s history and progress.“Hawai‘i workers, through

unions like the ILWU, werepart of the movement thatchanged pre-War Hawai‘ifrom a feudal oligarchal soci-ety to a more egalitarian com-munity. As in many otherparts of our country, the an-nual Labor Day weekend cele-brations have shifted fromcommemoration of labor's im-portant role in building civiclife through parades and ral-lies to typical American andlocal long-holiday weekendactivities like camping, barbe-cues and family gatherings,”said Senator Gilbert Keith-Agaran, who represents Cen-

Unions & LaborSteeped in ourSakada history, Filipinos’ strengh lie in numbers family and communication.

Our Timeis Now!Filipino food inthe mainstream?“ I doubt it!” But,guess who saysotherwise?

see LABOR DAY p.2

Do Not EatMarunggay, orMoringa in English, isconsidered a super-food. But when is itnot a good time toeat such a nutritiousand healthy veggie?

Page 1

see ATANG p.5

Atang and Other Filipino SuperstitionsA Viewpoint from a Local Born Filipino

Alfredo Evangelista

September 2017 · Vol 1 No7 FILIPINO AMERICAN VOICE • UPLIFTING OUR COMMUNITY

This little guy is an iconic symbol of diversity,sharing and good health.p7

The legacy continues forMaui with four straightwins on the State level.p15

Do they deserve praise orprosecution? What DoYou Think takes a look.p17

inside

T

Labor UnionsHard-won Successes, Uncertain FuturesElizabeth Ayson, PhD

FREE

Page 11

WAtang is an offering to our deceased family members.PHOTO: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

Pedro Macadangdang (2nd from left), a 1946 Sakada joined theILWU because he recognized that although he had to sacrifice timeand money, he could see that it benefitted the greater good. He feltthat the sacrifice was an investment in the future for his family.PHOTO COURTESY AGNES MACADANGDANG HAYASHI

lowing years, Filipinos led strikes, withthe most notorious one in April 1924when approximately 1600 Filipinoplantation workers went on strike at23 of Hawai‘i’s 45 plantations foreight months. During the 1924 strike,sixteen Filipinos and four policemenwere killed in what has been calledthe Hanapëpë Massacre. But not allFilipinos would join the 1924 strike.Herman Andaya participated in anoral history project of the University ofMichigan and recalled that he refusedto participate in the 1924 strike be-cause he came to Hawai‘i to work–not to strike.

Thirteen years after the 1924 strike,

Manlapit’s lieutenant, AntonioFagel, together with future Interna-tional Longshoremen’s & Warehouse-men’s Union (ILWU) president CarlDamaso, and 3,500 Filipinos en-gaged in an 85 day strike against thePu‘unënë plantation in Maui. TheHawai‘i Sugar Planters Association(HSPA) agreed to a fifteen percentpay raise but there was no writtencontract signed.

World War II briefly interrupted therecruitment of plantation workers butfrom 1944 to 1946, the ILWU saw anincrease in union membership from900 to 28,000. HSPA anticipated astrike and planned to bring in replace-ment workers from the Philippines.But HSPA was concerned its recruitingefforts would be restricted by the Ty-dings-McDuffie Act of 1934. HSPA

quickly arranged to bring in over6,000 workers from the Philippinesbefore July 4, 1946, the date thePhilippines would regain their inde-pendence and immigration would belimited to only 50 per year.

HSPA thought the Filipinos wouldbe potential strikebreakers but the IL-WU had organizers from the MarineCooks and Stewards union on boardthe ships signing up the Filipinos whowere welcomed into the ILWU oncethey arrived. Anak, published duringthe 100th year anniversary of theSakada, cites Cirilo Sinfuego andPepito Ragasa, 1946 Sakadas, asrecalling that everyone who steppedoff the S.S. Maunawili became a mem-ber of the ILWU.

In 1946, the ILWU led about26,000 sugar workers and their fami-lies–about 76 thousand people–on a79 day strike from September 1through November 18–shutting down33 of the 34 plantations. The ILWUlearned from prior strikes and includ-ed all ethnic groups. The sugar work-ers won the strike and the sugar plan-tations’ domination of Hawai‘i’s econ-omy and social life ended, opening theway for Hawai‘i to develop into amore modern and democratic society.Celina Macadangdang

Hayashi fondly tells how her grand-father Pedro Macadangdang, a1946 Sakada, recalls the strike “Papatold me that he joined ILWU becausehe recognized that although he had tosacrifice time and money, he could seethat it benefitted the greater good. Hefelt that the sacrifice was an invest-ment in the future for his family. Heshared that contributing money fromhis meager earnings was very difficultto do. He remembered going on strike,

and feeling very anxious and worriedabout it, but knowing it was importantand about how Mama (my grand-mother) made food for the workerswhen they went on strike.”

Over seventy years later, there areperhaps a dozen surviving Sakadas onMaui. Gone are the memories ofworking for a dollar a day and livingin almost slum-like conditions. Thememories are passed on through thegeneration by oral histories: “Papashared with me the hardships he hadto endure: the difficult back-breakingwork, the cruel treatment and themeager pay working for the sugarcaneplantation. He told me that it was onlywith the laborers uniting and bondingtogether, in the strength of the union,that they were able to overcome these

2 | Fil-Am Voice | September • 2017 | Vol 1 • No 7

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Labor Day…from p. 1

The Maui News reported one “Strike Settled” on July 17, 1937 in the Territory of Hawai‘i.

see LABOR DAY p.4

Cirilo Sinfuego, a 1946 Sakada, recalls thateveryone who stepped off the S.S. Mau-nawili became a member of the ILWU.PHOTO COURTESY SINFUEGO FAMILY

Filipinos on strike! Strike workers and supporters kept a healthy and tidy “ soup kitchen,” providing for the dailysustenance needs of the plantation workers.PHOTO COURTESY HAWAI‘I STATE ARCHIVES

1946 SakadaManuel Coloma, isthe father of StateSen. Gilbert-Keith-Agaran who repre-sents Central Maui.PHOTO COURTESY

GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN

Vol 1 • No 7 | September • 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 3

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Tante UrbanEDITOR & PRESIDENT • FIL-AM VOICE

Editor’s DeskFrom the

hy are we having a laborshortage? Let us beginwith a description of

what an employer looks for in aprospective employee.

1. Application. Com-plete, legible, andsubmitted on or be-fore the deadline,with attached resume.

2. Interview.

a. Punctual.

b. Appearance - neat;dressed appropri-ately, hair well-groomed, if applicable;clean clothing; footwear.

c. Communication - warmsmile; direct eye contact;good posture; firm hand-shake. Clear, continuousand audible speech. Answersonly the questions asked.Sincere. Relaxed.

d. Knowledge - demonstrates acommand of the subjectmatter required to accom-plish the duties and tasks ofthe position.

e. Experience - expands on de-tails of materials listed in re-sume.

f. Questions asked by appli-cant indicate interest in clar-ification, explanation of spe-cific details pertinent andunique to the position beingsought.

i. Employer contacts refer-ences for confirmationand/or clarification of in-formation provided in ap-plication, interview. andletters of recommenda-tion.

4. Employer informs applicant ofdecision to hire, designatestraining period, and start datefor employment.

Following are selected primary is-sues related to the labor shortage.

1. Low unemployment rate con-firms there are more jobs avail-able than applicants for thosepositions.

2. Inadequate number of appli-cants in specific fields: teach-ers, high tech vacancies,healthcare, food service.

3. Increased changing enforce-ment of immigration laws.

4. Identified needed training notavailable in the locale.How are we as a community

working together to face the chal-lenge of our labor shortage? Howare our leaders providing re-sources where most warranted?Are we willing to take care of theshortages of workers within ourown community, instead of seek-ing help from non-residents? Whatcan we do to match the educationof our current workers and gradu-ating youth to ensure jobs forthem upon their meeting mini-mum qualification?

We can do better, if we do it together.

L O C A T I O N24 Central Avenue

Wailuku, Maui, Hawai‘i USA 96793

Editor • PublisherTante [email protected]

Treasurer • Co-PublisherVince Bagoyo, [email protected]

Secretary • Co-PublisherAlfredo [email protected]

Co-PublisherElizabeth Ayson, [email protected]

Art Director • Co-PublisherLawrence [email protected]

Account ExecutiveCo-Publisher

Sharon [email protected]

Contributing Writers

Elsa Agdinaoay-Segal

Elizabeth Ayson, Ph.D.

Vince Bagoyo, Jr.

Joaquin “Jake” Belmonte

Alfredo Evangelista

Susan Halas

Gilbert Keith-Agaran

Lawrence Pascua

Vernon Patao

Lucy Peros

Liza Pierce

John Tomoso

Tante Urban

Sharon Zalsos

DistributionPaul Manzano

C O N T A C T

Tel: (808) 242-8100Email:

[email protected]

I N T E R N E TWeb:

www.filamvoicemaui.comFacebook:

facebook.com/FilAmVoiceMaui

The Fil-Am Voice, a newspaper focusing on issues concerning our Filipino American community here on Maui, is published every month.©2017 Fil-Am Voice Inc. All rights reserved. The Fil-Am Voice is valued at $1 per issue. One complimentary copy per person is available at is-landwide distribution locations. Multiple copies may not be taken without the permission from the Fil-Am Voice. Disclaimer: The views andopinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Fil-Am Voice,Inc. Any assumptions made within these articles are not reflective of the position of Fil-Am Voice, Inc.

The Labor Shortage,Not Just on Labor DayW

harsh working conditions,” recallsHayashi. Silvestre Baggao, a 1946Sakada, joined ILWU so his rights asan employee were protected, saiddaughter Myrna Baggao Breen.“My Dad said the ILWU representedthe workers to assist them with wageincreases as well,” Breen explained.

Recent immigrants from thePhilippines can no longer work at thenow-closed Hawaiian Commercialand Sugar Company.Filipinos now populatethe health care andhospitality industriesand the number ofsmall-businesses ownedby Filipinos are on therise.

In a society whereimmediate gratificationand a “What have youdone for me lately” at-titude prevails, somewonder whetherunions are still effec-tive. “I am not a trou-ble-maker so I wouldnot need the help of aunion,” said a youngmarried man and fa-ther of a toddler sonwho preferred to re-main anonymous.“Unions have benefit-ted workers but arelosing ground,” he said.Steven Castro,

who has served as ILWU’s Maui Divi-sion Director for the last four and ahalf years, disagrees. “I believeunions are still effective. We alwayshave organizing drives. When we’reable to show the comparisons, it usu-ally works in our favor.”

Although HC&S and Makena Surfclosed last year, ILWU’s union mem-bership on Maui remains high, withapproximately 5,500 members andclose to a thousand retirees. Theunion membership is in the hotel in-dustry, golf courses, pineapple, andgeneral trades such as trucking.“We’re growing, sometimes it’s aslow pace. We just ratified a renewalwith Andaz and the benefits andwages are excellent,” said Castro.“The greatest benefit of unions is be-ing able to negotiate benefits thatyou may not otherwise have with a

non-union,” Castro explains. “For ex-ample, at some of our major hotels,the employer pays for all the medicaland no contribution from the em-ployee. That’s really important be-cause the cost of medical is so high,especially here in Hawai‘i.”Arnel Alvarez, a steward for IL-

WU at the Grand Wailea Resortechoes Castro’s sentiments: “I appre-ciate the union for negotiating con-tracts for workers to have job protec-tion, full medical insurance, legalrepresentation, tenure, contract nego-tiations, and seniority benefits, such

as being first to be in-formed and consideredfor promotion or newjob opportunities thatcome up, and just feel-ing secure in your posi-tion, if you’re doing agood job.”

Of course, having aunion does not guaran-tee success in all labordisputes. A femaleunion member workingat a major airline, whoinsisted on anonymity,said “Our union pro-vides many positivebenefits. But they can-not win cases whenthere is not enough ev-idence.” Anotheranonymous male unionmember claimed“Unions are mostlybeneficial but not whenthey don’t back you upwhen you most need

it.” An anonymous member of theUnited Public Workers union com-mented on the recent labor strugglesat Maui Memorial Medical Center“The union was effective in terms ofgetting what was due to us.”Lucio Calina, Jr. whose dad

was a Sakada, has worked at bothunion and non-union positions andbelieves in the strength of unions.“The company I work for now has nounion. But when I was a civilianworker for the U.S. Air Force, theunion was beneficial for workers.”

Castro explains that non-unionmembers have benefitted from theactions of unions. “Historically, in or-der for non-union employers to main-tain their non-bargaining union em-ployees, the employers have to becompetitive. They have to offer simi-


Sakadas including 1946 Sakada Ciriako Nefulda (right) stand in front of a work truckbefore a gruelling day’s work.PHOTO COURTESY HAWAI‘I STATE ARCHIVES

“I appreciatethe union fornegotiatingcontracts forworkers tohave job protection, full medicalinsurance, legal repre-sentation,tenure, contract negotiations,and senioritybenefits…”– ARNEL ALVAREZ

see LABOR DAY p.8

speak fluent Ilokano or any otherPhilippine language, I do practiceatang. Even when we’re barbecuing athome in Waikapü, my wife BasiliaIdica Evangelista and I make surewe offer atang. Sometimes when I’mbarbecuing and I drop a piece of meatwhen I’m moving it from the barbecuegrill to the plate (and I’ve already tast-ed what’s on the grill), I say “Ala! Wenever atang yet.”

To some, the practice of atang mayseem not to be steeped in religion. But

my Mom is very religious and wasquite an evangelist when she wasyounger. She would go around withher best friend at that time Mer-cedes Vila and her neighbor Mag-dalena Nefulda (the three werepart of the Paukükalo gang along withthe A.B. Sevilla family) to invitefolks to join the Philippine Independ-ent Church which was meeting atGood Shepherd Episcopal Church inWailuku. I think she was quite suc-cessful. I always tease my Mom thatatang seems inconsistent with whatthe Bible teaches us about sacrificeand offerings... loving God and neigh-bor trumps sacrifice (Mark 12:28-34).

But my Mom would hush me and saySaanka agsarsarita or somethingequally deep in Ilokano that I can’t re-ally translate to English.

With Halloween coming up, Ithought it would be interesting to ex-plore some Filipino traditions and su-perstitions. I spoke to local Filipinos–especially folks who I consider reli-gious–to learn about their familypractices revolving around birth, mar-riage, and death. I even refused mycousin Manang Shirley Evange-lista’s offer to loan me her bookabout Filipino traditions and supersti-tions because reading is getting to bea lost art and also because much of

cultural tradition is often passed downorally.

When one dies, prayers or Novenaare usually held and the number nineis somehow involved. I always getmixed up whether it’s nine days be-fore the funeral or nine days afterdeath. Nowadays, we don’t have toomuch control because the funeral isset by the availability of the church,the mortuary, and the cemetery. Ac-cording to Gavina Dadis from LaoagCity, you’re supposed to prepare atangfor the dead and you’re supposed tohave the prayers nine days after deathbecause the nine days is symbolic to


Atang…from p. 1

The Idica clan gathers at Kanahä Beach Park after the 2014 death of Ceferino Idica.PHOTO COURTESY BASILIA IDICA EVANGELISTA

At the wedding service, the couple has the veil, cord, candles, and coin, even in multi-cultural weddings such as the marriage of Emerenciana Dadis and Joseph Kuzara.PHOTO: FRANCIS RAMOS

see ATANG next page

the nine months the person was in thewomb.

Did you know that you’re not sup-posed to serve marunggay duringprayers for the deceased? VirginiaYadao Pasalo from Sinait, IlocosSur claims that if you serve marung-gay during prayers, it will harkensomeone to follow in death. NanaDadis explained the marunggay leavesfall down easily. I never knew this un-til my brother Rogelio’s death in 2013.

Someone brought marunggay for theprayers and someone else advised mywife not to serve it. When it wasn’tserved, the person who brought it wasa little curious why her marunggaywasn’t served; evidently she wasn’taware of that superstition.

Nana Dadis also said don’t sweepduring funerals because it will disturbthe spirit. Caridad Manuel, 90-plusyears old from Banna, Ilocos Norte,said you can’t sweep the house be-cause they will take you–Alaennatayo amin. Lilia Zalsos Ross fromIligan City, Mindanao said when youhave the wake service at home, don’t

sweep the floor while the body is stillat home or before it is buried. Lilia al-so says you’re not supposed to take abath as part of the mourning process.There’s even a superstition/traditionabout the food you eat. According toRonnie Paguirigan Pasalo fromSan Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, don’t eatsour foods otherwise the food at homewill always taste sour.Orlina Cajigal Cala from Badoc,

Ilocos Norte says when someone dies,pukpukel the baby or even the adultsjust in case the spirit touched the per-son. After you return from the burialservice, you have to diramos–washyour forehead, hands and the back ofyour neck with a mixture of water,vinegar and guava leaves. Only a wid-ow can do this for the immediate fam-ily members. I recall some widowswould also slap your forehead as partof the ritual.

My family also practices gulgol orcleansing in the ocean. When mygrandmother Margarita Gonzalesdied in 1997, our family went to thebeach called Camp One early in themorning around 7 a.m., and everymember of the immediate family wad-ed into the ocean and was shampooedwith the same mixture of water, vine-gar and guava leaves. My family re-peated this tradition when my dadElias Acang Evangelista died in2000 and when my brother RogelioGonzales Evangelista passed in2013. Sadly, this solemn tradition ofgulgol was highlighted during one ofHawai‘i’s most notorious murder caseswhen Orlando Ganal, after killing hisin-laws and his wife’s lover’s brotherand two children, went into the oceanto cleanse himself. Yikes!

One of the most interesting funeraltraditions I had not known is practicedin Cebu and other Visayas areas. Lie-zl Oandasan shared that before youbring the casket from the house to thechurch, the pall bearers will raise upthe casket by the door so everyonewill exit out the house under the cof-fin. Ross says that all the relatives,from children to grandchildren, has togo under the coffin. Oandasan alsosays that you need to break a cup andsaucer to make sure the departedloved ones will go in peace. Whileyou’re at the cemetary, DoloresPaguirigan Garcia from San Nico-las, Ilocos Norte, reminds us we

should not step on the graves other-wise the spirits will hold your feet.

The time between death and burialis often a trying period with the mul-titude of preparations undertaken bythe bereaved family. To me, one tra-dition that is quite inconsistent withChristianity is the placement of itemsin the casket. When my Dad died, myMom insisted on placing stuff likecoins, clothes, and other items in hiscasket. Other families have done thesame thing. Cala said when MamaJuana Cajigal died, they were sureto place different things in the coffinthat she used when she was alive.“For example, we placed bingo cardsin Mama Juana’s casket because sheloved bingo,” said Cala.

As the ancient Greeks placed coinsto pay Charon for passage over theRiver Styx, Juana Ngayan of Sol-sona, Ilocos Norte explained they putmoney in the casket: “So they havemoney to travel.” When my Mom ex-plained my Dad would need moneyand it had to be coins so that he couldcross the river Jordan, I admit I wasvery skeptical. I said, “Mom, how doyou know they don’t give change?What if they don’t take Americancoins? Who do they give the coins to?”I recall even imploring my Mom thatif she really believed in God, shewouldn’t need to follow the old timetraditions and superstitions. I askedher, who told her all this stuff. Shereplied the bakbaket–the old ladies. Iknew I wouldn’t dissuade her but Isort of argued with her to take hermind away from the grief she was ex-periencing after losing my Dad. Ofcourse, my Mom won and I even con-vinced my son Christian AllenEvangelista and daughter DanielleAnne Evangelista to place some oftheir drawings in my Dad’s casket.

But my Mom forgot to place ablanket in my Dad’s casket. One night,my Dad appeared to my Mom in adream and said he was cold. My Momfelt bad. When my Ninong RamonCampos died a year later, my Momreceived permission from my NinangAvelina Campos to place a blanketin Ninong Campos’ casket as a balonfor my Dad. Later, my Dad appearedto my Mom in a dream and told mehe had received the balon from my Ni-nong Campos. My Dad and my Ninong

One of the more curious traditions at many local Filipino weddings is the moneydance. When Bessy and I got married, we had no problem with placing the money between our lips. It was fun to do and very challenging because some of our guests,especially our Ninongs and Ninangs placed the money all over the place. Even MauiMayor Alan Arakawa got into the act!

In Hawai‘i, gone are the days (mostly) of throwing rice at the bride and groom whilethey walk down the aisle after the ceremony. At our wedding, our wedding coordinatorDulce Karen Butay procured bubbles to blow while we processed down the aisle. Imust admit that bubbles made for a great photo.

Atang…from p. 5

see ATANG p.9

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au Kau means “eat” inHawaiian. Plantation work-ers carried their lunch into

the sugarcane or pineapple planta-tion fields in a double-decker “tin”with an arched wooden handle. Inthe past, the tins were made of alu-minum. Today, they are made ofstainless steel.

Kau kau tin is what the Sakadas(plantation workers) packed theirlunches in. Have you ever wonderedwhat’s in their kau kau tin? I havebeen told by the early plantationworkers that what’s in their kau kautin normally reveals not just whothey are culturally but what regionsin the Philippines the Sakada camefrom. Normally, the plantation work-

ers will place the rice at the first lay-er of kau kau tin–and the top layerwill consist of their favorite dish,such as fried akule fish, maybe a fewvienna sausages, or spam, and not tomention paria (bittermelon) leavessalad with tomato and garnishedwith patis (fish sauce).

At lunchtime in the plantationfields, these Sakadas will join theirfellow plantation coworkers–Por-tuguese, Puerto Rican, Japanese, Chi-nese, Hawaiians–and everyonewould proudly open their kau kautins and each would share their dishfor everyone to enjoy. What is soamazing about each tin-held dishesbrought by different ethnic groups inthe fields “reveals their owner’s char-acter and culture”–which helpedcreate the true flavor of Hawai‘i andmore specifically Maui a special placeto live. The sharing of food duringthe early days of plantation operationwas definitely the hallmark thathelped cultures once foreign to each

other to become one community thattruly loves and genuinely cares forone another.

So, kau kau tin is a symbol and ahistorical reminder of the Sakadas’aspirations and sacrifices. The nextgeneration needs to perpetuate theculture with humility and with pas-sion to lift each other up. Let’s keepthis culture alive and let’s not stopsharing our rich culture and the onofood in our double-decker kau kautins. Vince Bagoyo, Jr. is the Presi-dent/Owner of V. Bagoyo Develop-ment Group. He was graduated fromChaminade University (Bachelor ofArts in Political Science and Business

Administration) and California StateUniversity, Long Beach (Masters ofPublic Administration, GovernmentFinance). His various government po-sitions include Councilman (1991 to1992); Director, Department of Hous-ing and Human Concerns; and Direc-tor, Department of Water Supply.Bagoyo was previously President ofLäna‘i Holdings and Water Companyand Vice President of Läna‘i Compa-ny. He is currently Vice President ofthe Maui Memorial Medical CenterFoundation and was Chairperson ofthe Maui Filipino Centennial Celebra-tion Coordinating Council. His wifeJennifer is an RN at Maui MemorialMedical Center.


MauiPinoy What’s In YourKau Kau Tin?

Vince Bagoyo

K

Kau kau tin is what the Sakadas (plantation workers) packed their lunches in. Haveyou ever wondered what’s in their kau kau tin?PHOTO COURTESY HAWAI‘I STATE ARCHIVES

Kau kau tin is a symbol and a historical reminder of theSakadas’ aspirations and sacrifices.

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At lunchtime in theplantation fields,these Sakadaswill join their fellow plantation cowork-ers—Portuguese,Puerto Rican, Japan-ese, Chinese, Hawaii-ans—and everyonewould proudly opentheir kau kau tins andeach would sharetheir dish for everyone to enjoy.

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lar wages, holidays, pension plans, or401K plans, so they don’t lose theiremployees to a union shop. For exam-ple, we had a nonunion employeemaking $10-plus perhour and minimal ben-efits as a housekeeper.We got her in a unionshop and she nowmakes $20 per hourplus benefits.”

While there is still along way to go beforeFilipinos reach equityof place in the Ameri-can social order inHawai‘i, the futurelooks bright for Fil-ipino-American youth,many of mixed ethnic-ity, with Filipino beingonly one of many in-fluences enrichingtheir bloodlines andcultural perspectives.Many youth view thelabor movement as apiece of old history be-cause the technologygeneration has becomegrounded in another,more worldly place,one more fluid and in-tangible. The tradition-al institutions for sta-bility, such as church,school, and communi-ty organizations, donot garner intense,broad-based interestfrom today’s youth,who are more com-fortable with the op-portunities for connectivity and entre-preneurship in multiple co-existingworlds, each offering somethinguniquely inviting for the individualwho is in search mode. There is strongacknowledgment and wide acceptancethat the large majority of future work-ers will be employed by companiesand corporations, and that most willhave a union to represent them in ne-gotiations for contract benefits. Butthere is also an acknowledgment bythe unions of the need to work hand-in-hand with employers. “We try toget the best we can for our membersbut we have to keep in mind the com-pany needs to make a profit. We workreally hard with our employers,” saidCastro.

Today the descendants of the 1946Sakadas have accomplished much be-yond the dreams of their parents, andmany remember the importance of

unions. “I’m from a union family–myparents were both members of Local142–so I’ve always welcomed supportfrom labor,” said Keith-Agaran. “I livein and represent a community ofworking families so job opportunitiesare important. I’ve served on the laborcommittees in both the House and the

Senate and I remainsympathetic to workers’concerns with our work-ers’ compensation sys-tem and for maintainingbasic workers’ rightsand benefits.”

The union struggleshave not fallen on deafears. “Papa shared howit was only in solidarity(through the union)that he and his fellowplantation field laborerswere able to achieve theworking benefits andrights that they de-served,” added Hayashi.“When I interviewedhim in 2015, he was 92years old and he still ex-pressed such heartfeltappreciation and tri-umph in their victory inattaining fair and equi-table treatment, benefitsand wages–all ofwhich my generation socasually expect and takefor granted today!”

For the thousands ofSakadas such as An-daya, Baggao, Calina,Coloma, Macadang-dang, Ragasa, and Sin-fuego, Labor Day wasnot just about hot dogsand hamburgers or a

day in the sun. After all, their day inthe sun was pure labor.


1946 Sakada, union memberand father of Alfredo Evange-lista, Elias Acang Evangelistastands proudly in this image.

E l i z a b e t hAyson, Ph.D.,left, is a retirededucator, havingserved in theState Departmentof Education forover forty years.She previouslyserved as the Principal at ‘Ïao Interme-diate School, the Vice Principal at Li-hikai Elementary School and MauiHigh School, and she taught at LihikaiElementary School, Blanche PopeSchool in Waimänalo, O‘ahu, FrankThompson Middle School in Boston,Massachusetts, and Stuart Elementary

School in Boston, Massachusetts. Shewas graduated from Baldwin HighSchool, Knox College in Galesburg, Illi-nois (majoring in Music Education andElementary Education), and Universityof Hawai‘i at Mänoa (M.Ed.). She re-ceived her doctorate from Union Uni-versity in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Alfredo G.Evangel ista ,above right, sonof 1946 SakadaElias Acang Evan-gelista, con-tributed to thisarticle.

Silvestre Baggao is one of the last surviving 1946 Sakadas.PHOTO: BASILIA EVANGELISTA

Campos were very close, fellow 1946Sakadas, compadres many times over,and from the same town of Paoay inthe Province of Ilocos Norte. My Ni-nong Campos was a carpenter andhelped my Dad build our family house(yes, the pink one with green trim-mings) on South Papa Avenue. Whenmy Dad died and I was in the receiv-ing line, I saw my Ninong Camposand my eyes welled up in tears be-cause my Ninong Campos was like abrother to my Dad. Little would Iknow that my Ninong Campos wouldprovide an even more comforting serv-ice to my family when he himselfpassed.

When I lived in Honolulu, I was ap-pointed as a Public Member to the Re-al Estate Commission by GovernorBenjamin J. Cayetano. We hadfour meetings each month and mem-bers of the Commission would go tolunch, usually at a Chinese restaurant.We would host theneighbor island commis-sioners: MichaelChing from Kaua‘i, AlImamura from Maui,and Charles Aki fromthe Big Island. Afterlunch one day, I accom-panied Ching to shop inChinatown. His fatherrecently passed and hewanted to get some stufffor his Dad. Ching ex-plained he needed toget a miniature papercar for his Dad so thathis Dad could drivearound. I was intriguedthat not only my culturehonored the dead with avariety of superstitionsand traditions. Even theJapanese have bondances to welcome andrecall the spirits of thedead, something I try toparticipate in from timeto time (I don’t go only for the food).Some of our traditions are even simi-lar. Filipinos, like Chinese, are told notto wear red at a funeral. In 2004, atthe funeral of Aunty Felipa Cacay-orin, I had to mention to FatherMarvin Foltz at Good Shepherd,that he shouldn’t wear a pinkish/red-dish shirt. By that time, Father Foltzhad been at Good Shepherd for overfive years and he expressed surprisebecause no one had told him of thatpractice. Nevertheless, Father Foltzwho had come to understand the in-tricacies of Filipino culture, quicklychanged his shirt into a somber black.

Our cultural traditions and supersti-tions go beyond atang and the rites offunerals. Weddings are full of tradi-tions. At the wedding service, the cou-ple has the veil, cord, candles, andcoin. When my niece AshleyAcidera married Shawn Macugayearlier this year, they went the wholenine yards. My wife and I were theveil sponsors which is a symbol toclothe them as one. We happily partic-ipated in this tradition. Good Shep-herd’s new priest from Canada, FatherCraig D. Vance wanted to utilize hisown tradition and have the bride and

groom give the bread and wine to thecommunicants but the Nanas andTatas, especially my Aunty Magdale-na Clemente Evangelista quicklyshut that down.

Of course, one of the more curioustraditions at many local Filipino wed-dings is the money dance. Traditional-ly the money was placed between thelips of either the bride or groom andpassed on to the spouse who wouldreceive it and then release it while at-tendants gather the money in a bas-ket. When I was a young kid, the Mas-ter of Ceremonies would implore folksto give a lot so the newlyweds wouldhave enough money to go on a hon-eymoon! When I was in Los Angelesattending the University of SouthernCalifornia, I was invited to a weddingfor my cousin Lurline Mangosingand Hiddo Netto. Their moneydance tradition involved simply pin-ning money on the bride if you weremale and on the groom if you were fe-male. You would dance with them un-til the next guest would tap you onthe shoulder to cut in and place mon-

ey. I’ve even been to Fil-ipino weddings wherethe couple is so healthconscious that they an-nounce they will notplace the money be-tween the lips. Aycaramba! I guess I’mmore traditional sowhen Bessy and I gotmarried, we had noproblem with placingthe money between ourlips. It was fun to doand very challenging be-cause some of ourguests, especially our Ni-nongs and Ninangsplaced the money allover the place. EvenMaui Mayor AlanArakawa got into theact!

There are other,more serious Filipinowedding superstitionsand traditions. Oan-

dasan says that after the mass and be-fore the celebration, the grandparentswill comb the bride’s hair from a glassof water. After combing the bride’shair, the grandparents will then askthe bride to drink the water in theglass then throw rice grains unto thenewlyweds for a good and lasting re-lationship together and more bless-ings. Ross’ tradition and belief aboutcombing the bride’s hair is similar toOandasan’s. “When my sister got mar-ried, my parents (or whoever raisedthe child) have to comb the hair ofthe bride so the marriage is smoothlike combed hair,” said Ross. “We callit hapsai; very nice and smooth.”

In Hawai‘i, gone are the days(mostly) of throwing rice at the brideand groom while they walk down theaisle after the ceremony. When KallieKeith married Gilbert S. Coloma-Agaran, there was no rice thrown be-cause of its affect on birds; rose petalsinstead were thrown. At our wedding,our wedding coordinator DulceKaren Butay procured bubbles toblow while we processed down theaisle. I must admit that bubbles madefor a great photo.Ross says that if somebody is not

happy about you getting married–likean ex-lover, wherever the celebrationis held, don’t place the pots upsidedown. “I think it’s because the mar-riage won’t be successful because thepot is down, it’s empty,” explainedRoss.

Another notion is if your marriagedoesn’t go smoothly, perhaps youweren’t in step. Julita BalagsoIbanez from Sinait, Ilocos Sur said“When you get married, when youwalk in the church, they told me notto go first but to step together.” Calaexplains if the girl goes first, the bridewill be the boss, which explains a lot... just kidding!

There are also quite a number oftraditions and superstitions involvingbirth. After birth, Cala says you’re sup-posed to baptize the child as soon aspossible, and before the baby is threemonths old. “When you take the babyout of the house,” Cala says, “call thespirit Umaykan dika agbatbati.” Ibanezsays after birth, you’re not supposedto lift heavy things and to stay awayfrom the rice fields because if you gointo the water, you will get sick. Dadissays after birth, take a bath withboiled guava leaves for healing pur-poses. Garcia said “don’t eat coldfoods because your stomach will comefunny.” Ross says that you can onlyeat certain types of food. “You can on-ly eat fish that is clean, for exampletilugon is good. But don’t eat shark orsting ray.” Ross also warns that whenyou’re pregnant, you’re not supposedto eat food that is not nice to look atbecause your baby will look the same.

“For example, don’t look at uglythings–if you look at the monkey,some part of your child will resemblea monkey, e.g., your child’s hair maybe monkey-like.” Judge for yourselfwhat Ross was looking at when shecarried Sharon Zalsos.

Oandasan shared that when one isgiving birth, tires will be burned dur-ing labor, especially if you’re deliver-ing at home. The burning will chaseaway bad spirits, explains Oandasan.It is almost similar to the practice ofthe family of Aurea Peros Tagordawhich burned a log in front of thefamily home when prayers were heldafter she passed.

While we may not always agree orcontinue all our superstitions and tra-ditions, it’s part of our culture and insome cases, shared by other cultureson Maui. For this local born Filipino,these traditions are important, espe-cially because my 93-year old Momconsiders them to be. After all, Motherknows best. Thanks be to God!Alfredo G. Evangelista is a gradu-ate of Maui High School, the Universityof Southern California, and the Univer-sity of California at Los Angeles Schoolof Law. He is a sole practitioner at LawOffices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limit-ed Liability Law Company, concentrat-ing in estate planning, business start-up and consultation, non-profit corpo-rations, and litigation. He has beenpracticing law for 30-plus years (since1983) and returned home in 2010 tobe with his family and to marry hishigh school sweetheart, the formerBasilia Idica.


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Atang…from p. 6

After birth,you’re sup-posed to bap-tize the child assoon as possi-ble, and beforethe baby isthree monthsold. “When youtake the babyout of thehouse, call the spiritUmaykan dikaagbatbati.”

– ORLINA CAJIGAL CALA


PalengkeMaui’s “Farmers’ Market” SmorgasbordLiza of “ A Maui Blog”

Kwento Kuwentuhan

o you like going to farmers’markets? I do! It remindsme of palengke. I have many

warm memories of Nanay (my mom)and I going to palengke back in thePhilippines.

Palengke is the Tagalog word formarket. Not the supermarkets thatwe are familiar with here in the U.S.but more so like a farmers market orswap meet where local produce andhomemade goodies are sold by thefarmers themselves–or at least mostof them are.

Do you have a “go to” farmers’market on Maui—one whereyou regularly go to and buyyour fresh produce?

I do!

I live in Kïhei so I naturally am in-clined to go to the farmers market inthis area. I am glad that I don’t haveto drive far away to avail of some ofmy favorite fruits and veggies. Part ofmy Saturday morning ritual is to goto the farmers’ market at Aloha Mar-ket owned by Rowena. Aloha Marketis located across from Kukui Mall andnext to the Kïhei Public Library.

One of the many great thingsabout grocery shopping at Rowena’sis that I find the produce I am look-ing for that I rarely find in otherplaces–like atis, lanzones (when inseason) and guyabano. I also liketheir variety of green leafy vegetableswhere I can purchase malunggay, da-hon ng ampalaya or saluyot. There isa wide selection of locally grownfruits and vegetables. In addition,they have baked goods, pastries, andother cooking ingredients.

Another wonderful thing aboutgoing to Rowena’s produce market isthat the staff is very friendly andhelpful. Rowena’s team all speakTagalog so I get to speak Tagalogwhen I am there. Fun! Kwento-kuwentuhan while shopping.

I got to know a bit about Rowe-na’s background and it is quite fasci-nating. Rowena started helping hermother in-store in the Philippineswhen she was eight years old. Sheearned a degree in Chemical Engi-neering at Far Eastern University.When she moved to Maui, she washired as a Senior Analyst at HC&S to-analyze the differences in sugar cane

quality. In 2001 she and her hus-band, Guy Moen, started a farm inHa‘ikü and since then they have beenselling their produce from the farmat various farmers’ markets on Maui.Aside from their farmers’ market inKïhei, there is also a Rowena’s Pro-duce & Packaging Supplies in Kahu-lui, located at the corner of WäkeaAvenue and 230 Häna Highway. It isopen daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Do you want to know where theFarmers Markets are on Maui?

Let me highlight some of them.

Upcountry Farmers’ Market atthe Kulamalu Shopping Center nearLong’s Drugs just off of Kula High-way–open Saturdays, 7 to 11 a.m.The diverse community of over 50vendors that frequent this Maui mar-ket is what makes it unique to oth-ers.

Farmers’ Market at the MauiSwap Meet is popular among localsand tourists alike. Located at the Uni-versity of Hawai‘i Maui College, theswap meet is located at the backsideof the U.H. Maui College across fromthe Maui Arts & Cultural Center(MACC). This swap meet is everyweekend and has just about every-thing you would want, not just freshproduce. Hours of operation are Sat-urdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Farmers’ Market in the centralcourt of the Queen Ka‘ahumanuCenter is convenient for locals andtourists. Not only is there fresh trop-ical produce but many vendors fea-ture handcrafted sweets and treats tochoose from. It is open on Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to4 p.m.

I am not very familiar on the West-side, but our friends there recom-

mend Honoköwai Farmers’ Mar-ket located at 3636 LowerHonoapi‘ilani Rd. in Lahaina. Theyare open Monday, Wednesday andFriday from 7 to 11 a.m. and theNäpili Farmers’ Market locatedin a parking lot at Honoapi‘ilaniHighway and Näpilihau St. in La-haina, near Maui Prep, opens 8 a.m.to 12 noon.

This list of farmers’ markets onMaui is by far not complete and everevolving. The farmers’ community onMaui is growing and that’s pretty ex-citing. I asked this question earlier onin this article, and I want to ask itagain: Do you have a “go to” farmers’market on Maui—one where you reg-ularly go and buy your fresh produce?Share with us at Fil-Am Voice Face-book page. You can post some pho-tos too! Mahalo and a hui hou!

Liza Pierce of A Maui Blog is an In-teractive Media Strategist in Hawai‘i.She started blogging in 2006 and sheloves talking story online and spread-ing aloha around the world. She’sbeen living on Maui since 1994 andconsiders Maui her home. A wife, amother, a friend…and so much more.She loves Jesus; Maui Sunsets Catch-er; Crazy About Rainbow; EndAlzheimer’s Advocate. Her life is fulland exciting here on the island ofMaui.Liza is currently the Interactive MediaStrategist with Wailea Realty Corp.

D

A Timeless Family Tradition Rooted in Our Local Community

Enjoy a Fabulous Fair Weekend

ROOTED . CAPABLE. EFFECTIVE. . .

Paid for by Friends of Gil Keith-Agaran P.O. Box 857 Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793

A host of fresh produce await youat Maui’s numerous “palengke!”

Shopping at farmers’ marketshere on Maui allows you to getproduce that you won’t normallysee in most mainstream super-markets, and then some...

Rowena Moen (shown right)stands proudly in front of her market in Kïhei.

Besides getting fruits and vegeta-bles that I could only find in the

Philippines before, visiting Rowena’smarket also allows me to speak in Tagalog with their employees

Esmel, Viner, Marcy and Ai; kwento-kuwentuhan while shopping!

he Filipino Food Movementwas founded to create broadawareness, appreciation, and

enhanced investment in Filipino Culi-nary Arts. In just a few short years, ithas gathered national attention in thepress, millions of worldwide impres-sions on social media, and hundredsof passionate and talented individualswho believe Filipino Cuisine deservesits rightful place in the global menu.

It is believed that the story of ourculture is programmed into the DNAof each ingredient, no matter where itis grown; each dish, no matter how ithas evolved; and each cook, no matterwhere he or she may come from.

Through an inclusive & collabora-tive spirit, here is the goal:

•We aim to combat the challengesand negative stigmas facing our cui-sine. We aim to shed light on thetrue value of Filipino Cuisine.

•We aim to build a better stage uponwhich to celebrate and elevate theFilipino Food experience.

•We aim to gather those that areworking tirelessly to do the same.

Together, we can influence the ris-ing tide that will lift all vessels, withthe hopes of leaving a trail of crumbsin our wake that will inspire, gather,and feed generations to come.SOURCE: THE FIL IP INO FOOD MOVEMENT

It is in food that we find our com-monalities, rather than our differ-ences. As a chef instructor at UHMCCulinary Arts Program, I instill in mydiverse group of aspiring chef studentsthat we identify as ourselves not onlyby birth but also by how we embraceother cultures by appreciating variouscuisines. It is with an open mind thatone can pledge to the recognition ofother ethnic and global foods, throughthe love of eating, and deep respect tothe culinary arts.

Filipinos are the second largestAsian subgroup in the US, accordingto the US Census department, and thesecond largest ethnic community inHawaii. Restauranteurs, chefs, manu-facturers, fans, friends, and Lola’scome together to celebrate the greatflavors of our cuisine.

In big cities, one of the best thingsabout globalization is having foodfrom around the world in walking dis-tance. For Hawaii, being a melting potand at the forefront of travel andtourism, we've got it all, and Filipinocuisine is here to stay.

We have access to pretty muchevery cuisine we could ask for, butthere’s one in particular that is, ac-cording to Anthony Bourdain, set tobe the next big food trend in America.

Recently in June 2017, TV person-ality, host and celebrity chef AnthonyBourdain of Parts Unknown told CNNduring an interview that American

palates are just starting to become se-riously interested in Filipino food, butthey've begun embracing and learningabout one of the most underrated butdelicious cuisines out there. He em-phasized that Filipino food will be thenext big thing in America.

Bourdain thinks western palates areready for it: “I think certain Filipinodishes are more likely to take root andtake hold more quickly than others,”he told CNN.

One of the dishes he particularlylikes is called sisig, which is madefrom the snout, jowl, ear and tongueof a pig.

“I think sisig is perfectly positionedto win the hearts and minds of theworld as a whole,” he said with noreservation. “The dish is casual, acces-sible, and exactly what you need aftera hard day’s work.” He added, “I thinkit's the most likely to convince peoplewho have no exposure to Filipino foodto maybe look further and investigatefurther beyond sisig. I think that’s theone that’s gonna hook them.”

Along with Bourdain, Los AngelesTimes food critic Jonathan Gold hasalso noted that the Filipino FoodMovement is now upon us, and itsunique yet familiar flavors and afford-able prices have finally thrust it intothe gaze of American food culture.

Bistro Manila Maui owners Rey &Cecille Piros attracts foodies and inter-


Chef’s Corner

T

national diners at their location at 230Häna Highway, directly across JimFalk Motors in Kahului.

They feature Filipino Kamayan-styledinner (eating with your hands), alsoknown as “Boodle Fight,” where nu-merous dishes are laid on bananaleaves across a long table. Freshlycaught and grilled fish, exotic fruits, awhole roasted pig, and rice are someof the dishes served. No forks, spoons,or knives are used. Everything is eatenby hand. It is one of my most memo-

rable dining experiences.Eating with your hands is a unique

way of eating that is common to al-most every Filipino. While most of theworld use spoons, forks, chopsticks,and knives, Filipinos use their hands.Eating using your hands culture hasbeen passed on for generations. If youhaven’t tried this yet, remember it ishighly recommended. It is worth theexperience.

Bistro Manila Maui has received alot of inquiries about their “KamayanNights.” Please call 871-6934 forprices and reservations–they are onlydoing “Kamayan Nights” on Fridayand Saturday nights–the price variesdepending on the choice of items andthere must be a minimum of four peo-ple.

R E C I P E :

Pork SisigServes: 6

Ingredients• 1 lb. pig ears• 1½ lb pork belly

• 1 large onion, minced

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 knob ginger, minced

• 3 tbsp chili flakes• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 piece lemon (or 3 to 5 pieces calamansi)

• ½ cup butter (or margarine)

• ¼ lb chicken liver

• 6 cups water

#filipinofoodmovementHow it all started, The Filipino Food Movement.

Chef Joaquin “ Jake” Belmonte

see MOVEMENT next page

PHOTO COURTESY ABS-CBN

TV personality, host and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain of Parts Unknown told CNNthat Filipino food will be the next big thing in America.PHOTO COURTESY CNN

Bistro Manila Maui Rey & Cecil Piros attracts foodies and international diners.

“ I think it's [sisig] the most likely to convince people who have no exposure to Filipinofood to maybe look further and investigate further beyond sisig. I think that’s the onethat’s gonna hook them,” said Bourdain.

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 tsp saltInstructions1. Pour the water in a pan and bring

to a boil. Add salt and pepper.

2. Put in the pig’s ears and pork belly then simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour (or until tender).

3. Remove the boiled ingredients from the pot then drain excess water.

4. Grill the boiled pig ears and pork belly until done.

5. Chop the pig ears and pork belly into fine pieces.

6. In a wide pan, melt the butter or margarine. Add the onions. Cook untilonions are soft.

7. Put in the ginger and cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add the chicken liver. Crush the chickenliver while cooking it in the pan.

9. Add the chopped pig ears and pork belly.Cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

10.Put in the soy sauce, garlic powder, and chili. Mix well.

11.Add salt and pepper to taste.

12.Put in the mayonnaise and mix with the other ingredients.

13.Transfer to a serving plate. Top withchopped green onions and raw egg.

14.Serve hot. Share and enjoy. (Squeeze calamansi before eating).

RECIPE SOURCE: PANLASANG PINOy

Chef Joaquin‘Jake' Belmonte,Jr. is a CulinaryLecturer at the UHMaui College, Culi-nary Arts Program.Belmonte was grad-uated from MauiHigh School andworked extensivelyin the Food & Bev-erage operation inthe hotel industry.He is currently theChef Representativeof the Blue ZonesProject - Central Maui Restaurants & GroceryStores, a Facilitator of Hawai‘i National GreatTeachers Seminar; and an active member of theAmerican Culinary Federation. Belmonte was rec-ognized by the Hawai‘i Hospitality Magazine asone of the 2008 Top 10 Rising Chefs of Hawai‘iunder 40 and was the 2009 Chef Representativeof the Hawai‘i Visitor and Convention Bureau'sWest Coast Marketing Campaign. Happily mar-ried with two children, Belmonte is also a SmallBusiness Owner and Operator of Maui LifestyleHealthy Choice, a premier healthy vending com-pany.

n article in America:The Jesuit Review, byTheology ProfessorJonathan Malesic, got

me thinking about labor and aperspective on our daily work. Inthis day and age, it can be saidthat many are increasingly ex-periencing work as perhaps ma-

terially unrewarding and not fulfilling. In this day andage, in what is called the post-industrial era, many seetheir stability of a job, of work, as becoming rarer. Thiscan lead to the thinking that work, a job, daily labor isirrelevant, even insignificant to one’s own worth andconnection to God and His ongoing creativity in theworld. As a Priest, I would like to contribute to connect-ing those who work, like me, to their own sense of ful-fillment and spiritual commitment to God.

Professor Malesic wrote about how, through ourwork, our labor, each of us can respond to “ the universalcall to holiness in everyday economic life.” I understandthis to mean that all labor, every job, can be seen as aconnection to God, to His creation and will for everyone of us. I like to remind people that they must live(and work) their passion, what they really like and wantout of life. Thus, I think that this “ call to holiness” isabout how we find stability in our work, in our jobs, sothat we fulfill our hopes, dreams, and aspirations, mak-ing them a reality for ourselves and those we love.Now, I know there are many political and economicforces beyond one’s control that can dictate work andjobs in our community. Yet, what we do control, is howwe work, how we perform our jobs, so as to fulfill ourown being, our sense of self and self-worth. Perhapsthis will bring each one of his to holiness.

As a Priest, I am aware that I must help others to seethe value of work; that it must not be overvalued or un-dervalued. Such a value, I believe, means that onemust not “ overwork;” that one must balance daily lifewith work and rest. So, let’s ask ourselves the ques-tions: “How does my work and its task before me con-tribute to my progress toward holiness?” “How does mywork and its tasks contribute to my sense of well-beingand self-worth and to the life of the community and toothers’ sense of well-being and self-worth and to thelife of the community?” I’ve always had the thought,and I pray about it, that my work, my labor, my job, doesmake a difference and that others derive goodness(and holiness) from it.

Do you take “ time off,” time away from work and laborto enjoy life, especially with others? In his book Leisure,the Basis of Culture, Josef Pieper calls attention to whathe describes as theological truths:

1) God’s creation is providential and God provides allthat we need.

2) Everything doesn’t have to be earned because Godgives us, gifts us, with what we need.

We are all in God’s creation and the thinking that onemust “ always work for everything,” points to a certainlack of understanding about our own status as crea-tures of God. I believe we can enjoy work or labor, yetwe don’t have to work all the time. Rabbi AbrahamJoshua Heschel echoes this idea in arguing for theSabbath, “ a day of rest” as “ the heart of human exis-tence.” He says that on the Sabbath, and at rest, theperson “ says farewell to manual work” and learns to un-derstand that the world has already been created andwill survive “without the help of human beings.” So bal-ance your life with work and rest, with labor and recre-ation.

If we consider that our ultimate destination as hu-mans is a connection or communion with God, thenPieper’s thought that “ rest from work” is a celebrationof our existence, of life itself, is a necessary reality forthose who work, who labor. If we do not “ rest fromwork,” I believe, we make all our work, our labor, unful-filling, unrewarding and, therefore, undervalued. As aPriest, I would like to tell you that the highest form ofcelebration is worship. Kababayan, can anyone argueagainst worship? Thus, I believe God blesses all our

Chef’s Corner

Ating KabuhayanJohn A.H. Tomoso †

Movement…from p. 11


A hat you get out of tomorrow de-pends on what you put into it to-day–and how you handle any

bumps along the way. So while you’re keepingone eye on that retirement prize, make sure tokeep the other on the lookout for pitfalls. Hereare some potential obstacles to prepare for.

1. Short-Sighted SavingsSavings generally take time to grow, so you

may wish to consider saving and investing earlyto take advantage of compound interest andlong-term stock gains if the U.S. stock marketscontinue their historical upward trend1. Considermultiple avenues for your savings dollar, includ-ing:

• 401(k)Employer-sponsored 401(k) plans can of-

ten be a good way to invest in your future.Many employer-sponsored plans also offer amatching contribution feature. 401(k) planstypically enable you to make contributions outof your paycheck on a pre-tax basis, so youcan defer taxation on your income whilegrowing your retirement savings on a tax-de-ferred basis.

• Individual Retirement Account (IRA)Many smaller employers offer an IRA op-

tion, or you can open your own IRA.

• Personal SavingsMany banks offer automatic withdrawals

from a direct deposit paycheck into a savingsaccount. Even though these banks credit youraccount with low (or no) interest–and thusoffer limited growth potential–this can gener-ally be an easy and conservative way to setaside cash on a regular basis.

2. Career InterruptionsIn today’s economy, you can never be sure of

your job stability–or of your ability to quicklyfind a new job if you get laid off. That’s whymany believe it’s critical to maintain an emer-gency fund to cover 6—12 months of living ex-penses like rent or mortgage and groceries. Ifyou withdraw money from your retirement sav-ings, especially a qualified retirement plan, youmay incur tax penalties on the withdrawals (de-pending on your circumstances) while also cut-ting into the account’s value over time.

3. Unforeseen Illness or Injury According to the Social Security Administra-

tion, about one in four 20 year-olds working to-day will become disabled before they reach re-tirement age2. It’s a startling statistic with seri-ous consequences. If you get sick or hurt andhave to go on long-term disability (generally af-ter six months of short-term disability), your em-ployer may have the right to terminate your po-sition–and with it, your ability to continue con-tributing to your 401(k). This can potentiallyhave a considerable impact on your retirementsavings.

4. DebtFrom credit cards to home loans to paying off

your children’s college education, debt has thepotential to derail your retirement plans. Debt,when not properly managed, may lead to lowcredit scores, a depletion of your retirement sav-ings, or even bankruptcy. Unmanaged debt mayalso make achieving your foundation of retire-ment planning–the accumulation of assets–more difficult and potentially more expensive.The key is to pay down debt while properly bal-ancing it with your other financial priorities.

5. Life EventsYou can save early and save often for retire-

Ka-Ching!

Potential Retirement ObstaclesElsa Agdinaoay-Segal

W

see ATING KABUHAYAN p.18

see OBSTACLES p.15


y alma mater Maui HighSchool annually holds adinner during Homecom-

ing week to honor alumni, faculty andfriends of our school. Past honorees ofthe Maui High School Foundation in-clude inspirational local speechteacher at that other school CharlotteBoteilho ’68, my high school scienceteacher Edwin Ginoza, my high schoolprincipal Calvin Yamamoto, historianand writer Inez Ashdown ’18, and au-to technology instructor Dennis Ishii’66. Legendary football coach CurtisLee ’66, athletic director and coachIzumi “Shine” Matsui, and longtimetrack and field coach Odell Marinia,and swim coach Spencer Shiraishi ’45represent the proud Saber athletic his-tory. My classmate and innovativecommunity builder Stanford Carr ’80,wireless technology pioneer HarrisonMiyahira ’58, A&B Properties executiveGrant Chun ’79, Island Movers execu-tive Donald Takaki ’59, retired statejudge Harriet Holt ’44, and tax reformadvocate William Tavares ’39 signifyalumni in business and civic life. Musi-cians in the Hall include noteworthyband teachers and music directorsJames Kidoguchi and Kerry Wasano’89, and local entertainer UluwehiGuerrero ’76. Veterans venerated in-clude Hawai‘i National Guard BrigadierGeneral Glen Sakugawa ’66 and coura-geous special forces team memberKraig Vickers ’92. Longtime supportersof the school Dr. Frank Baum & Dr.Colleen Inouye, who annually sponsorValedictorian awards, also hold re-spected places.

Not surprisingly, the Hall also in-cludes people who have helped shapeour island and state in politics like for-mer teacher, Maui Mayor and Speakerof the House of Representatives ElmerCravalho ’44, and distinguished Con-gresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink ’44.More recent awardees include leadersthat shaped Maui, Lt. Governor ShanTsutsui ’89, former Maui County Coun-cil Chair and former Executive Directorof Maui Economic Opportunity GladysBaisa ’58, and Maui Mayor AlanArakawa ’69.

This year, one of the honorees is thelate Mamoru Yamasaki ’35. A lifelongbachelor, Senator Mamoru Yamasakiserved more than thirty-three years interritorial and state legislatures, distin-guishing himself as an advocate of chil-dren and education. As Chair of thepowerful Senate Ways and MeansCommittee for a dozen years, the low-key legislator played a key role in fund-ing state services and building and up-grading local schools, athletic fields,roads, airport, hospital and the UHMaui College.

Maui Nui historically has wielded anout-sized role, given our population, inour State history. Speaker Cravalho ap-pears in that famous picture receivingthe call that Congress had approvedthe Statehood Admissions Act. Duringportions of the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Maui residents Joe Souki andMamoru Yamasaki held the chairs ofHouse Finance (FIN) and WAM at thesame time. During their WAM-FIN hey-day, Rep. Souki and Sen. Yamasaki,and the Maui legislative delegationbrought home over four billion dollarsfor highways, hospitals, airport termi-nals, schools, cafeterias, libraries, com-munity centers and much more. Soukiwent on to serve as House Speakertwice, most recently from 2013 untilearlier this year. In recent years, Mauiresidents Bob Nakasone, Kyle Ya-mashita and Shan Tsutsui have beenresponsible for determining the State’sCapitol Improvements Projects (CIP)budget. Tsutsui, of course, went on tobe the first Maui resident to lead theState Senate and then became Lt. Gov-

ernor. Rep. Yamashita continues tolead the Finance Committee on CIP.Others in the Maui delegation continueto hold influential positions in the leg-islature.

But Maui only has three membersin the twenty-five member Senate andsix members in the fifty-one memberHouse. Neighbor Islander legislatorshold only eight seats in the Senate andsixteen in the fifty-one member House.Maui and its sister-counties have beensuccessful advocates over the years byworking cooperatively and smartlywith their O‘ahu colleagues.

A friend recently asked about myvotes in favor of SB 4 in the SpecialSession which provides additional au-thority for the City and County of Hon-olulu to fund its controversial rail proj-ect. I told him it was the right vote forHawai‘i at this time even though all ofmy Neighbor Island Senate colleaguesother than the Senate President votedagainst the bill. Four of Maui's sixmember House delegation, two ofKaua‘i's three Representatives andthree of the seven Big Islanders Repre-sentatives also supported the compro-mise bill. Neighbor island residentshave generally and understandablybeen leery of being pulled into fundingO‘ahu’s costly mass transit system.

Interestingly, when Souki and Ya-masaki served as legislative moneychairs, they worked on the first propos-als to develop mass transit on O‘ahu.The pundits even called the proposedtrain the yama-Souki. The yama-Soukinever started since the Honolulu CityCouncil rejected the tax increases need-ed to fund it.

Taxes, the State and the Counties

In Hawai‘i, the State Constitutiongives the legislature broad taxation au-thority. The four Counties have limitedtaxation authority. The Constitutiongrants Counties only authority overProperty taxes, vehicle and weight tax-es, and public utilities franchise tax.But until 1989, the Counties did noteven have statutory authority to set re-al property tax rates themselves.

For many years before and after

Statehood, the Counties requestedState grants from the legislature to as-sist County operations. In territorialdays until the early years of Statehood,the Counties actually received a portionof the General Excise Tax (GET) basedon a formula. In 1965, the Counties be-gan receiving funding through grants-in-aid. The GIA amounts ranged from$9.363M in 1966 to $19.5M by 1972.

General Excise Tax (GET)The State GET is one of the main

sources of revenue for the State gener-al fund, and accounts for about 50% ofthat fund. It is a broad tax that coversalmost all goods and services sold orprovided in Hawai‘i. The GET brings ina lot of revenue, and most residentsand businesses pay this tax in someway or another with approximately30% of collections paid by visitorswhile on vacation in Hawai‘i. The gen-eral fund supports all State services, in-cluding schools, hospitals, social servic-es, health inspectors, the University ofHawai‘i campuses, and county ambu-lance services. Until the passage of SB4, 10% of the O‘ahu-only rail surchargewas also deposited into the generalfund (since 2007, as a result, approxi-mately $193M has been allocated togeneral State services, including thoseprovided to the neighbor islands).

According to the 2012 census esti-mates, Honolulu County represented70% of the State population. In 2015,O‘ahu taxpayers generated 75% of theState personal income (2015, Universi-ty of Hawai‘i Economic Research Or-ganization). With its large population,Honolulu generates most of the StateGET. I would note Maui County Coun-cil Chair Mike White is also correctwhen he points out that the City andCounty of Honolulu has a broader eco-nomic tax base (for example, Maui seeslittle in defense spending other thanwhat is provided at Haleakalä and theMaui High-Technology Park, whileO‘ahu has civilian jobs at the PearlHarbor Naval Shipyard, and militaryjobs at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hick-am, Marine Corps Base Käne‘ohe,Schofield Barracks, and a growing Cy-

Mike Agcolicol: 808.205.765 1975 Vineyard St., Suite 101Melen Agcolicol: 808.205.7981 Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii [email protected]

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Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran

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see FUNDING p.16

Ways and Means Chair Donavan Dela Cruz (6th from left) confers with Vice-Chairman Gilbert Keith-Agaran (6th from right) during the special session.

PHOTO COURTESY HAWAI‘I SENATE MAJORITY

his month’s featured SakadaOffspring is a man of great in-tegrity, a community leader, as

well as a dedicated church leader:Emmanuel Alegre Baltazar.

Emmanuel “Manny” Alegre Bal-tazar was born on New Year’s Eve, De-cember 31, 1974 in Cabaroan Laud,Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines, toCarlos Argel Baltazar and GertrudisPatricia Apelin Alegre Baltazar. He ismarried to Eliza Cruz Feig Baltazar.He has three step daughters: HazelFeig, Ivyneil Feig Madriaga, and AizaFeig Cortez and five grandchildren.They are: Lyzah Kiana Hong, MeleanaJustyce Hong, Ian Angelo Madriaga,Isaac Anthony Madriaga, and KellenZane Cortez,

Eliza was married to the lateCosme Batalia Feig, a 1946 Sakada.He was employed at HC&S. Unfortu-nately, he passed away in 1999. Elizare-married in 2007 to Emmanuel, whoarrived on Maui on March 5, 2007from the Philippines. Manny also hasgranduncles who came to Hawai‘i asSakadas: Faustino Apelin, DomingoAlcain, Segundo Alcain, AntonioQuenga, and Teofilo Alcausin. Accord-ing to Manny, these brave Sakadas, bycoming to Hawai‘i, they were able tohelp Manny’s grandparents and par-ents financially for a better life espe-

cially in the area of higher educationand purchasing lands for farming inthe Philippines. They are very gratefulto them.

Manny was a very bright student.He was a valedictorian of his elemen-tary school class and a 3rd honorablemention at his high school class. Hereceived his Bachelor Degree in Ele-mentary Education from the Universi-ty of Northern Philippines with thehighest award of Distinction. Mannywas also designated as the Most Out-standing Student Teacher of the Yearand Outstanding Student Leader ofRegion I. As a post graduate, Mannyreceived his Master of Arts in Educa-tion from Baguio Central University,majoring in Educational Managementin Supervision and Administrationfrom which he received a SpecialAward in Thesis Making.

At Grand Wailea Resort, Manny isemployed as a Houseman. Other jobsthat he undertook were: SalesClerk/Cashier at Longs Drug (Kahului,2007—2009), Educational Assistant(Sped Class) at Lihikai School, (Au-gust 2007—December 2007), and Eng-lish Teacher (Part Time) at the MauiCommunity School for Adults (August2010—July 2013).

Manny is very involved in Mauicommunity activities. He served in theIlocos Surian Association of Maui astheir Recording Secretary and as 1stVice President. At Binhi at Ani, heserved as Vice President, Correspon-ding Secretary and a Board Member.He was also a Board Member of theMaui Filipino Community Council.

At Grand Wailea Resort, Mannywas an ILWU Local 142 Union Stew-ard, Unit 2520 Grievance Chairman aswell as Unit Chairman. For the MauiDivision, Manny is the Political ActionCommittee Chairman. In the Demo-cratic Party of Hawai‘i, he was aPrecinct 1 District President2013—2016 and President of District 9(Kahului Area), June 2016—present.

Manny’s church involvement in-cludes Lector, Eucharistic Minister,and Lector Trainer, as well as chairingvarious church ministries and commit-tees. He serves both St. Theresa andChrist The King Catholic Churches.

With such dedication, Manny re-ceived many plaques of commenda-

tion, certificates of Recognition, andleadership awards from the communi-ty, organizations, and churches. He re-ceived a Gintong Pamana LeadershipAward from the Maui Filipino Cham-ber of Commerce in 2014.

Manny thanks his late mother,Gertrudis and father, Carlos for instill-ing in him the importance of service,serving the church and community forthe good of the people and the wholecommunity. He says: “My mom wastruly my inspiration.”

This is Manny’s reflection in life:“Be simple and humble to all blessingsgiven by God. Be contented and grate-ful with the things you have and nottoo much ambitious in life. Put God asa center of life and nothing is impos-sible to Him and He will provide allwhat you need if you have strong faithin Him. Continue to serve others sin-cerely and serve the community aswell as a way of giving back to Godthe blessings he gave. Remember tolove and care for your family becausefamily is the best gift given by God tobe treasured forever. If all of us willwork hand in hand, heart to heart,nothing is impossible to attain onMaui. May we all unite as one, planas one and work as one with commonpurpose and surely we can make Mauithe best place to live. We can make abig difference if we work together andcohesively attain our dreams and in-spirations for a better and progressiveMaui. This is the right time to movenow…it’s not yet too late if we start itnow.” Lucy Peros isa retired schoolteacher, havingtaught for 32years, 11 yearsat St. AnthonyGrade Schooland 21 years atWaihe‘e Ele-m e n t a r ySchool. Both ofher parents, Elpidio and Alejandra Ca-balo of Häli‘imaile, worked for MauiLand and Pine Company. Her dad wasa 1946 Sakada. Lucy is currently a Re-altor Associate at Peros Realty, thebusiness her late husband Sylvester Per-os, Jr. started 30 years ago, where herdaughter Lianne Peros-Busch is now theBroker. Lucy devotes a significantamount of time to activities at ChristThe King Catholic Church as well asbabysitting her grandchildren.


Sakada Offspring

Emmanuel Alegre BaltazarLucy PerosT

At the Maui Seaside Hotel100 West Ka‘ahumanu Ave. • Kahului

(808) 877-0300

for Local and Filipino Favorites!

Maui’s Best…

Try ourKare Kare

Manny Baltazar and Family

Manny & Eliza BaltazarEmmanuel “ Manny” Alegre Baltazar


Around Our Community If you have a photograph of a community event, please email to [email protected]. Please include a short description, your name and contact information.

ment, but something may happen thatputs that savings at risk. Considerplanning for the unexpected with awhole life insurance policy that buildscash value over time. Instead of dig-ging into your retirement savings topay for unforeseen expenses, you maybe able to access the cash value3 inyour whole life insurance policy tocover some of these costs. Or, later inlife you may use your cash value tosupplement a short fall in your retire-

ment income.Taking the steps ahead of time to

prepare for potential and real obsta-cles can help you enjoy life’s next ad-venture–retirement.1 PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE

OF FUTURE INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE.

2 U.S. SOCIAL SECURITy ADMINISTRA-T ION, FACT SHEET OCTOBER 13,2015

3 ACCESS TO CASH VALUES THROUGH

BORROWING OR PARTIAL SURRENDERS

WILL REDUCE THE POLICy ’S CASH VALUE

AND DEATH BENEF IT , INCREASE THE

CHANCE THE POLICy WILL LAPSE, AND

MAy RESULT IN A TAx L IAB IL ITy IF THE

POLICy TERMINATES BEFORE THE DEATH

OF THE INSURED.

Provided by Elsa Agdinaoay-Segal,registered representative of MassMutualPacific, courtesy of Massachusetts Mu-tual Life Insurance Company (MassMu-tual). Lic. #357268. Agdinaoay-Segalwas graduated from Hawai‘i PacificUniversity where she received a Bache-lors of Science in Business Administra-tion with an emphasis on Human Re-source Management. In 2009, sheearned the Chartered Retirement PlansSpecialistSM designation (CRPS7). Ag-dinaoay-Segal has nine years of experi-ence in the financial services industry.

She is the mother of two children,Joshua and Lily, and married to Bran-don Segal, a deputy prosecuting attor-ney with the County of Maui.

Ka-Ching!

Obstacles…from p. 12

Major ReinalynGolino, formerMiss Barrio Fiesta, dancedfor her parentsat the Philip-pine CulturalFoundation ofHawai‘i eventin Honolulu.PHOTO: ALFREDO

EVANGELISTA

Gabrielle Gutierrez was crowned the new 2017 Miss Maui Filipina by the 2017 Miss Hawai’i Filipina, Kimberly Yap,and the 2016 Miss Hawai’i Filipina, Amelia Laborte.PHOTO: LAWRENCE PASCUA

Dance International Production relaxing in Honolulu before a competition.PHOTO COURTESY MADELYNE PASCUA

2017 Miss Hawai’i Filipina Kimberly Yapperformed a Marshallese folk dance at the New 2017 Miss Maui Filipina coronation ceremony.PHOTO: LAWRENCE PASCUA

Reynaldo and Felicitas Golino were honored as one of the nominees for the Parents of the Year by the Philippine Cultural Foundation of Hawai‘i in Honolulu.PHOTO: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

Sheena Garo, one of Maui High School's valedictorians, honored at the Philippine Cultural Foundation of Hawai‘i event in Honolulu.PHOTO: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

The Bahay Kubo Heritage Foundation featured 13 chefs who made tapas at the Aug. 19 event, held at U.H. Maui College’s Pä‘ina hall. Shown here lining up are, fromleft to right, Chefs Lyndon Honda, Charles Andres, Larry Badua, James Simpliciano,Chris Schobel, Jojo Vasquez, and student Motley Adovas.PHOTO: LAWRENCE PASCUA

All cheers to the birthday boy, Bart Santiago, whose celebration was held at Tante’sIsland Cuisine, Sat., August 28. Santiago’s family and close friends from the Maui Filipino Community Council who were in attendance were in jovial spirits indeed.PHOTO COURTESY TANTE URBAN


Iti Salun-At Yo

ne of the most frequentlyasked questions I receive is“How do I lose weight?”

Well, we all have heard of a millionand one ways to shed those unwantedpounds and reveal the six-pack hidingbehind the insulating layer. The truthof the matter is: There is no secret for-mula or answer to the question. Themost important piece to the puzzle oflosing weight lies between our ears.This is where the process of develop-ing the right mindset begins. Every di-et and weight-loss scheme has its prosand cons, but for any one to reallywork, you have got to get your mindright.

Here is the story and journey ofathlete Valerie Matsunaga, a retiredpharmacist who has won awards inweightlifting: 2015 Olympics, SilverMedal in the Masters World Cup;2017 World Masters Games, SilverMedal; and 2017 National MastersWeightlifting Championships, BronzeMedal.

Val: I want to lose weight, Coach,what do I do first, exercise or diet?

Coach Vernon: Every journey be-gins with a single step. Start with set-ting a goal and a vision.

Val: I want to lost 5 pounds, well, ac-tually, I want to look like Marie Os-mond after her transformation.

Coach: For a lifetimeor long-term change tooccur, it has to be alifestyle change that youcan live with. Takesmall baby steps withday-to-day changes. Thekey to weight manage-ment is balancing whatyou eat with what yourbody spends. To lose apound, you need tohave a calorie deficit of500 calories per day or3500 per week, on aver-age. This can easily beachieved balancing dietand exercise. Make a log of everythingyou consume in a week, calculate yourcaloric intake, and formulate an exer-cise routine to burn those calories.

Val: I’ve tried keeping a food diary,writing down everything that I ate. Igot really tired.

Coach: There are many differenttools available. If you have a smartphone, try “My Fitness Pal.” You caneasily enter what you consume and iteven gives you a breakdown of whatyou ate, by nutrients, such as protein,carbohydrates, and fats. There is noone size fits all model, and as a gen-eral rule to start, a goal of 40% pro-tein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% fat

is a good baseline.

Val: I gave “My Fitness Pal” a try. Itwas simple, fun, and very effective.Coach, this is too hard to maintainevery day. I am a visual person, andit’s too much math for my simplebrain.

Coach: Here’s a solution: MealPreparation. Planning your meals,breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and twosnacks, with consistent amounts ofprotein, carbs, and vegetables on aplate per meal, makes this easy, dayto day. Simply put, take pictures ofwhat you ate for breakfast, lunch, anddinner today. Let’s see what “My Fit-ness Pal” says you will weigh in 5weeks.

VA: Yikes, I didn’t realize how muchfat I was eating every day or howmany calories I ate at night.

Coach: Now that you have a tool tokeep you accountable for diet, developmore muscle tone with a simpleweight-training program. You willburn more calories. It’s that simple.

The plan is simple:

1) Develop the right mindset;

2) Follow a balanced diet;

3) Include a balanced exercise regimen of aerobic and anaerobic activity; and

4) Rest and Recover.Have fun in your journey to losing

weight.

Vernon Patao isMaui born, islandtrained and publicschool educated atLihikai Elementary,Maui High School,and the University ofHawai‘i at Mänoa.Before the Olympics he ranked threetimes as U.S. champion. As an Olympicweightlifter he won one gold, one silverand two bronze medals. Today he is afirefighter and an enthusiastic coachand teacher for many who seek to behealthy and fit, especially for thosewho go to his gym regularly.

Losing Weight:A JourneyVernon Patao

O

(808)268-8547Frozen Fish from the Philippines

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401 Ho‘okahi St. • Bay #4 | Wailuku, Hawai‘i

Valerie Matsunaga, is a retired pharmacist who has wonawards in weightlifting: 2015 Olympics, Silver Medal in the Masters World Cup; 2017 World Masters Games,Silver Medal; and 2017 National Masters WeightliftingChampionships, Bronze Medal.

ber-security role, as well as the spend-ing by military dependents). Maui, incontrast, in the last two years has seenthe closing of its last large agribusinessoperation and has become more de-pendent on the visitor industry andconstruction.

In June 2017, O‘ahu taxpayers con-tributed approximately 86% in total taxcollections and 85% of the State GETcollections. Maui tax collections was6% in total collections and 7% of theState GET. Hawai‘i county collectionswere 6% for both total and GET, andKaua‘i county was 2%. O‘ahu also gen-erates 60% of vehicle taxes but morethan half of all money collected goes tosupport roadways on the other threeCounties. Simply said, O‘ahu residentscontribute a larger percentage of theirincome to GET than neighbor islanders(even if you subtract the rail surchargethat only applies only to O‘ahu-gener-

ated transaction).While the GET is a significant source

of State revenue and has been thesource for paying rail costs, there aresome disadvantages to raising the GETcompared to the State Transient Ac-commodations Tax (TAT)–what wecommonly call the hotel room tax. Ap-proximately 70% of the GET is paid byresidents, and 30% by visitors. In short,the GET takes a much bigger bite outof Hawai‘i resident's pockets than theState TAT. In contrast, ninety percentof the State TAT is paid by visitors.

Another significant concern is thatthe GET is a “regressive” tax. It's con-sidered regressive because lower in-come residents pay a much higher per-centage of their income in GET thanresidents with higher incomes. So theGET not only hits residents harder thanvisitors, it hits our neediest residentshardest of all, while those with moredisposable income pay a smaller shareof their income to GET, even thoughthey may buy more.

Since 2007, Honolulu has received

for rail a 0.5% surcharge on the StateGET. Honolulu officials received a ten-year extension of the State GET sur-charge two years ago. The City re-turned to the legislature to request an-other extension although its Mayor alsosaid he preferred making the surchargepermanent. In the first two approvals,the other three Counties were giventhe opportunity to impose similar StateGET surcharges to support their respec-tive transportation needs. None of theother Counties chose to act on thoseopportunities.

Transient Accommodations Tax(TAT)

Much of the discussion leading upto the Special Session was about theproposed hike in the State hotel roomtax. The State TAT, contrary to whatsome County officials contend, is not aCounty funding source. Nor was it ini-tially a fund to help market tourism. ASenate colleague who served at thetime tells me the State TAT was passedto support State general services.

The legislature established it in1986 at a rate of 5%. Since then, theState TAT has risen from 5% when itwas first implemented in January1987, to 6% in July 1994, to 7.25% inJanuary 1999, to 8.25% in July 2009,and most recently, to 9.25% in July2010.

Following the creation of the hotelroom tax, State tax moneys provided tothe Counties were gradually shifted tothe State TAT. In 1987, the Countiesreceived $12M. In 1989, that amountrose to $20M.

When the Hawai‘i tourism industrywanted a “world-class” $350M conven-tion center, the industry and the legis-lature identified the existing State TATas a funding source for constructionand then for servicing of financing. Theuses for the State TAT have shiftedover time. The State TAT presently issplit between the Counties ($93M),Convention Center ($33M), TourismSpecial Fund ($82M), State Parks andTrails projects ($3M), and financing

Funding…from p. 13

see FUNDING next page

We Do Catering Too!

il-Am Voice staff asked mem-bers of Maui’s Filipino commu-nity “What do you think of the

Marcos' offer?”

Arnold of Wailuku with roots inBadoc, Ilocos Norte: “If it’s not theirs,give ’em back.”

Bernie of Wailuku with roots inCabugao, Ilocos Sur: “If the Marcosesare willing to return the millionsstashed in Swiss bank and the goldbars, then they are telling the wholeworld that they plundered, robbed,they manipulated the poor million Fil-ipinos who suffered during the 19years of Marcos’ dictatorship. He isguilty therefore he doesn’t deserve tobe buried in the LNMB (Libingan NgMga Bayani). He should be exhumedand returned to Ilocos Norte, he is nota hero, to me!”

Diane of Wailuku with roots inBacarra, Ilocos Norte: “Where’s ourshare?”

Elorde of Kahului with roots in Ban-na, Ilocos Norte: “Fair enough. Aslong as they give it back to the peo-ple.”

Grace of Kïhei with roots in LaoagCity and Bacarra, Ilocos Norte: “That’stelling the people they’re admittingtheir faults–stealing money from thepeople.”

Juvy of Lahaina with roots in LaoagCity, Ilocos Norte: “It is a smart movefor the Marcos family, that means theytrust the Duterte administration. Let'sall move on–after 30 years of corruptgovernment, it is time for our countryshine. It will benefit to our country-men and it will be the downfall of theDilawan.”

Karen of Kïhei with roots in Sison,Pangasinan: “Doesn’t it belong to the

Philippines anyway? It wasn’t theirs tobegin with.”

Kit of Wailuku with roots in QuezonCity, Metro Manila: “It’s not surprisinganymore for President Duterte tomake such statements when the Mar-

coses haven’t even made the commit-ment publicly yet. If it’s true, then theMarcoses do admit about the ill-gottenwealth they amassed. My concern isthat this could be pure propaganda togive the public a false sense of justice,because the return of the wealth theystole from the people shouldn’t givethem immunity from criminal prosecu-tion.”

Magdalena of Kahului with roots inPaoay, Ilocos Norte: “That would begood because Duterte could use it forthe good of the people. The moneyhas to be returned to the govern-ment.”

Marilyn of Kahului with roots inLaoag City, Ilocos Norte: “It’s a goodgesture but it’s like they are agreeingthey took the money. If they are will-ing to do that, we should take it. I


FWhat Do You Think?

don’t see anything wrong with thatbut they are admitting they stole themoney. Question is who did they stealthe money from–the government orthe people?”

Michelle of Kahului with roots inPangasinan and Bohol: “I believe thatit’s an honorable gesture to give backmoney and gold bars to the Philip-pines government, as long as it wasn’tobtained illegally.”

Randy of Wailuku with roots in SanJuan, Ilocos Sur: “I think this wealthwas in the good hands of Marcos be-cause if not long time they sold it toa very rich country, and what I cansee is they really trust the present ad-ministration of President Duterte. Thatis why they are returning this ton ofgold because they know that they willuse this to pay the debt of our countrywhich is in the trillions and they are

sure that this administration they willnot put in their own pocket. That iswhy they really have the confidenceand feel comfortable in returning be-cause the past administrations theywere all corrupt and they can reallytrust President Duterte in handlingthis wealth.”

Virginia of Wailuku with roots inSanta Maria, Ilocos Sur: “The questionsparks more questions for me. Howmuch of the 14 billion allegedly takenfrom the Philippines will be returned?Is this gesture an admission of guiltthat the assets were ill-gotten? Towhom is the money going and forwhat purpose?”

Zenaida of Wailuku with roots inSinait, Ilocos Sur: “To whom? Not tothe government but I would love tosee it returned to the people who re-ally needs it.”

What Do You Think...What do you think of the Marcos’ offer?Fil-Am Voice Staff

the purchase of the Turtle Bay conser-vation easement, with the remainderallocated to the State General Fund.Under the new rail bill, the Counties’portion of the State TAT will increaseapproximately 10% to $103M.

Almost all of the State TAT (hotelroom tax, 90%) is paid by visitors. Lo-cal residents who stay in hotels ontheir own island, or in most cases, onO‘ahu, also pay the State TAT (localresidents are estimated to pay 10% ofthe total State TAT collected).

The average hotel room in Hawai‘icosts $254. The 1% State TAT hike ap-proved in SB 4 will add $2.54 per dayto a visitor’s hotel room bill. That ap-proximate $3 amount is what alarmsHawai‘i’s hotel industry even thoughmany of our hotel operators regularlyadded larger amounts in “resort fees”on top of their room rates for the useof amenities such as pools and towels,free wi-fi or the gym. Valet parking atHilton Garden Inn in Waikïkï recentlycost Alfredo Evangelista $35 per day.

These resort fees add much higher dai-ly amounts to hotel room stays thanthe 1% increase in the State TAT.

O‘ahu Taxpayers Subsidize the Neighbor Islands

Hawai‘i, first and foremost, operateslargely from a statewide funding basisand we have done well by taking careof each other. O‘ahu taxpayers simplypay more than their share of taxesbased on the services they receive fromthe State. To put it bluntly, O‘ahu tax-payers subsidize a variety of services onall the neighbor islands. Maui Nui re-ceives more subsidies from the Statethan the share of State income (in theform of taxes) Maui County generates.

Consider that the State has providedmuch needed services to Maui Countyin addition to the services I mentionabove that the general fund covers.State moneys (mostly provided byO‘ahu taxes) have been used to drillwater wells in the ‘Ïao and Waihe‘eaquifer that were then turned over tothe County of Maui to use as part ofthe Department of Water Supply sys-tem. State moneys, including O‘ahu

President Ferdinand Marcos had allegedly plunderedthe wealth of the Philippines during his time.PHOTO COURTESY PHILIPPINES LIFESTYLE NEWS

“ Ang sabi nila the father was only protecting the economy... but ganito anglumabas parang naitago,” said President Duterte, according to ABS-CBN.PHOTO COURTESY FREE MALAYSIA TODAY


see FUNDING p.19


14 MISS TEEN MAUI FILIPINASCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT sponsored byBinhi at Ani. 6 p.m. at Binhi at Ani.Contact Michelle Santos at 264-0871.

21 MAUI FIL-AM HERITAGE FESTI-VAL sponsored by Maui Filipino Cham-ber of Commerce Foundation. QueenKa‘ahumanu Center, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Contact Jake Belmonte at 283-6358 orSharon Zalsos at 359-1616.

November26 GRAND FINALE OF THE 85THANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OFCHRIST THE KING CATHOLICCHURCH 10 a.m. Mass with BishopLarry Silva and lü‘au entertainment after the Mass. Contact Lucy Peros at 877-7045.

December30 RIZAL DAY PROGRAM sponsoredby Maui Filipino Community Council.Binhi at Ani. Contact Elmer Tolentinoat 283-8145.

2017Calendar Fil-Am Voice

How to Submit a Calendar Event$25 for up to 60 words for Filipino-Americanbased for-profit events. Email [email protected] Deadline for submissions isnoon, one month prior to publication. The Fil-AmVoice is published at the beginning of the month.Payment assures publication in the Fil-Am Voice Cal-endar. Contact our Ad Executive at 359-1616.

DisclaimerFil-Am Voice shall not be liablefor information containedwithin calendar listings or forany loss or expense that re-sults from the publication oromission of any calendar list-ing. Advertisers are solely re-sponsible for the descriptionof event, merchandise orservice offered. All calendaritems are subject to editing.

Please submit your community event by the seventh day of each month via email to [email protected]

How to Submit a FREE Calendar EventFor Filipino-American based nonprofit organizations, free events,benefits and fundraisers only. Email [email protected] (type “Calen-dar” in subject line) Deadline for submissions is noon one month prior topublication. Events will be published on a space-available basis, giving pref-erence to nonprofit events, free events, benefits and fundraisers.

Thursday Friday SaturdaySunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

What’s Happening On Maui

January 201821 55TH ANNUAL FEAST DAY CELE-BRATION held by the Santo Niño Clubof Maui. Mass will be celebrated atChrist the King Church at 3:30 p.m.followed by dinner and entertainment

at 6 p.m. at Wailuku Community Cen-ter. Nine Nights Novena prayer willbegin on January 12, 2018 at 7 p.m.at Christ the King Church. ContactLiezl Oandasan at 276-5548 or viaemail to [email protected].

September16 MABUHAY FESTIVAL sponsored byMaui Filipino Community Council. Bin-hi at Ani at 10 a.m.—6 p.m. ContactGreg Peros at 276-8771.

October2 PHILIPPINE FLAG RAISING CERE-MONY to kick-off Filipino-AmericanHistory Month sponsored by Maui Fil-ipino Chamber of Commerce Founda-tion and County of Maui. 10 a.m. atCounty of Maui Building. Contact JakeBelmonte at 283-6358 or Sharon Zal-sos at 359-1616.

5-8 95TH MAUI FAIR War MemorialComplex.

7 HOLY ROSARY CHURCH ANNUALFEAST DAY Mass is at 4 p.m. fol-lowed by dinner and entertainment at954 Baldwin Ave., Pä‘ia. $30 advancetickets. Contact parish at 579-9551.

Distribution LocationsKahuluiA&E LaundryAh Fook’sBadua’s CateringBinhi at Ani CenterBistro ManilaCJ’s OrientalClinical LaboratoryCounty of Maui-DMVCupie’sDa Shrimp HaleFoodland-KahuluiHairwaysHale Makua-KahuluiIsland Grocery DepotKahului LaundromatKrispy KremeLBC Remit ExpressMaui Adult Day Care CenterMaui Beach HotelMaui Coffee RoastersMaui Economic OpportunityMaui Green MarketMaui Seaside HotelMax’s

North Shore PizzaPacific Fish MarketParadiseParadise VideoPlantation GrindzRM Mini MartRowena’s ProduceSafeway-KahuluiStarbucks-Ka‘ahumanuSunrise Food MartTamura’sTante’sUniversity of Hawai‘i Maui CollegeVidad’s

Kïhei Elly’s FormalFoodland-KïheiMonsantoPhil-Mart OrientalSafeway-KïheiTamura’s

LahainaFoodland-LahainaIlocandia Filipino Store

Java Jazz-HonoköwaiJoey’s Kitchen-Kä‘anapaliJoey’s Kitchen-NäpiliL&L HonoköwaiNagasako Variety StoreRVN Deli KitchenSafeway-Lahaina

UpcountryFarmacy Health BarMajestic LaundryMixed PlatePukalani SuperetteStarbucks-Pukalani

WailukuBlazing SteaksCAA Market PlaceCAA Mini MartCafe Central CateringCopy ServicesCounty of MauiDiscount Mini MartFoodland-KehalaniFour Sisters BakeryGolden Coin

Good Shepherd ChurchHale Makua-WailukuHome Maid BakeryILWUJ. Walter Cameron CenterJMA ImportsJuan’s KitchenKaiser-Maui LaniLaw Offices of Alfredo EvangelistaMako’s Maui LaniMälama I Ke Ola Health CenterMaui Coffee AtticMaui MedicalMaui Memorial HospitalMinit Stop-Main StreetNoble TravelPromenadeRandys CateringSabado Art StudioSack and SaveSafeway-Maui LaniSugoi RamenTamura’sTasty CrustTiffany’s Bar & Grill

labor, our work and our rest. All of this contributes to our sense of wellbeing,self-esteem, and holiness, as creatures of a loving, merciful and providentialGod.

Have an idea or a comment or even a question, contact me at this email ad-dress: [email protected] Until next time, take care!

John A. Hau’oli Tomoso† is a Social Worker and Episcopal Priest. He is a Priest Associateat Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wailuku and an on-call Chaplain at Maui MemorialMedical Center. Tomoso was graduated from St. Anthony Jr./Sr. High School, the College ofSt. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota (Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology) andMyron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawai’i at Mänoa (Masters ofSocial Work). In 2008, he retired from the civil service as the Maui County Executive onAging. Tomoso is currently the Executive Director of the non-profit Tri-Isle Resource Con-servation and Development Council, Inc. His wife Susan is a 7th grade Language ArtsTeacher at Maui Waena Intermediate School.

Ating Kabuhayan…from p. 12


Great events!• Master P-Noy Chef® Cook Off • Any Kine Adobo® Contest • Speedy Balut Eating Contest® • The Polvoron Challenge: Eat & Tweet®

• Oh Wow! Parol Making Contest® • Pinoy Artist Contest® • Pabitin at the Fest! • Your Name in Baybayin • Mg Pedring's Cart

Fabulous Filipino Food andBack-to-Back Entertainment!

Don’t forget thePhilippine Flag RaisingCeremony

Oct 2 at 10 AM

at the County Building

The Maui Fil-Am Heritage Festival® is sponsored by

the Maui Filipino Chamber ofCommerce Foundation and

is the premier event inHawai‘i celebrating the

month of October as FilipinoAmerican History Month.

Sat · Oct 2110AM to 3PM

at its new location

Plus…Register to win a roundtrip airfare to the Philippines sponsored by

For more information, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MauiFilipinoChamber or Call Sharon Zalsos at 359-1616, Jake Belmonte at 283-6358, Melen Agcolicol at 205-7981

taxes, were used to pay for the CentralMaui Regional Park with an additional$1M recently released by the Governorand Lt. Governor to complete thatCounty of Maui park. Kahului Airportbrings in enough revenue to cover itselfbut the State also pays expenses for Lä-na‘i, Molokai and Häna operationswhich cost more than they generate,and for Kapalua, which is not eligiblefor federal support. Vehicle weight tax-es from O‘ahu also help the neighborislands maintain State roadways.

In other words, there are many im-portant projects and services that ben-efit the Counties and their residentsthat are actually paid for by State mon-eys, including O‘ahu taxes.

The Rail Funding BillIn order to cover the cost of com-

pleting the rail project, some Senators,the City and County of Honolulu, andthe Hawai‘i Authority for Rapid Trans-portation (HART), wanted the legisla-ture to authorize extending the GETsurcharge an additional 10 years. Ourpoorest residents have already carriedthe burden of the cost when the legis-lature allowed the City to impose anO‘ahu-only surcharge on the GET tocover the rail project. Extending thesurcharge for another 10 years wouldhave continued to force our poorestresidents to bear the heaviest burden ofthe project cost, and past overruns.Splitting the remaining costs betweenthe GET (only for O‘ahu transactions)and the State TAT, will place some ofthe cost for rail on visitors and reduce

the burden on our residents least ableto pay. Using only the GET for the costwould mean only approximately 30%of that extra cost would be borne byvisitors. While there was not much dis-cussion about the issue, failure to actwould have also raised the issue of theFTA demanding the return of the$800M in federal fundsalready spent on theproject and how thatmoney would be raised(the GET surcharge wasonly authorized for con-struction costs).

State TAT collectionsalso will allow the Cityto pay more costs up-front which will reducethe financing costs of theproject, saving up to $2Bin costs for O‘ahu's tax-payers.

When SB 4 came be-fore the Senate Waysand Means (WAM) com-mittee, neighbor islandleaders and residents tes-tified against the pro-posed State TAT hike.WAM members did notargue with the neighbor islanders onthat issue.

When SB 4 was heard in the jointHouse committees of Transportationand Finance, however, O‘ahu legisla-tors were not as kind. They took openumbrage at the neighbor island councilmembers who appeared to argue thatthe State TAT was County money. Thearguments posed by the neighbor is-land council leaders–which reflectedtheir constituents’ sentiments–clearlyirritated some O‘ahu House members

on the Finance committee.SB 4 will also allow Maui County,

Kauai‘ County and Hawai‘i County athird opportunity to pass their own or-dinances to create a GET surcharge fortransportation expenses, and perhapsreduce County gas taxes presently usedfor those purposes. You may be aware

that Maui's gas taxes arethe highest in the State.

No one denies thehuge problems associat-ed with the rail projectto date. Consequently,SB 4 includes State over-sight of the remainingrail project costs. TheState will no longer sim-ply write checks to theCity for the moneys col-lected for rail. The fundswill be paid to the Cityand HART only after re-view and certification ofconstruction-related ex-penses by the Depart-ment of Accounting andGeneral Services(DAGS). The bill alsoprovides for an audit ofthe project.

The O‘ahu Rail project is approxi-mately 45% complete. Many of the ear-ly cost overruns on the project occurredfrom some contracts the city agreed tobefore the HART management was cre-ated. We expect that the new manage-ment at HART will do a better job fin-ishing the rail project than their prede-cessors.

Voting in favor of SB 4 was not aneasy decision. It could not have beeneasy for any neighbor islander giventhe opposition expressed by many of

our neighbors, family and friends.However, I am conscious of the need toensure there will be GET funding in thefuture for other important problemsacross the state. Long-term, the Stateof Hawai‘i has many important publicinfrastructure and services that willneed to be funded in upcoming years.For example, we will need more serv-ices to accommodate our growing eld-erly population, to continue addressingrepair and maintenance, includingcooling our local schools and our col-leges, and to pay down the unfundedpublic pension and health care liabili-ties. Continuing to dedicate additionalGET revenues only to the O‘ahu railsystem would reduce options for meet-ing those obligations.

Finally, I want to be sure my O‘ahucolleagues will continue to supportMaui projects as they have done in thepast. I mentioned at the beginning thatonly eleven neighbor island legislatorsvoted in favor of SB 4. Maui, Kaua‘iand the Big Island hold only eight ofthe twenty-five Senate seats and onlysixteen of the fifty-one House seats. Ad-vocating for our home islands andcounties requires the help and supportof our O‘ahu colleagues.G i l b e r tS.C. Keith-A g a r a nr e p r e s e n t sCentral Mauiin the StateSenate. Heserves as As-sistant Senate Majority Whip and, asthe Vice-Chair of the Senate Ways andMeans Committee, is responsible fornegotiating State capital improvementprojects with his House counterpart.


“The average hotel room inHawai‘i costs$254. The 1%State TAT hikeapproved in SB4 will add $2.54per day to avisitor’s hotelroom bill. Thatapproximate $3 amount iswhat alarmsHawai‘i’s hotelindustry”

– GIL KEITH-AGARAN

the current President of Academy ofHospitality and Tourism (AOHT),chose to do her project on Human Re-sources. “I was intrigued to learnabout all those jobs,” Cortney said,“It’s for my personal exploration.”

The Building and Construction Cap-stone class will be building a tinyhouse. Mark Rafael, a member ofthe Building andConstruction Cap-stone class, proudlysays, “I’ve alwaysloved buildingthings with myhands.” By doingthe senior project,seniors are more challenged but ofcourse, during their presentations,they will all be proud of their work.Not only will they feel successful butalso after everything, they will havean idea as to the type of environment

they desire to workat in the future.

In the past, highschool seniors prac-ticed their presenta-tions to differentclasses. TrishaMae Rapacon

witnessed apresen ta t ionfrom an Ad-vancement ViaIndividual De-t e rm i n a t i o nstudent lastschool year. Tr-isha says, “Thatparticular pres-entation stoodout to me themost because

the argument really correlated wellwith the hours, which was to travel toMexico for the summer.” The presen-ter volunteered in an orphanagewhere disabled children and adultswere being taken care of. “The studentreally proved that disabled childrenshould not be aborted because theycan also bring happiness to people’slives,” said Trisha, who learned thatevery person has the chance to live asmuch as we all do.

“My senior project will be on Hos-pitality and Tourism,” explained Tr-isha. “I'm currently job shadowingwith Envisions under an Event Plan-ner/Coordinator for the requiredhours. By doing this experience, I willbe able to apply all of the event plan-ning skills I’ll be learning for my sen-ior project product which will be theAOHT's Christmas party. For Tourism,I will be writing an argument aboutlifting Executive Order 13769 alsoknown as the “Muslim ban” that wassigned by President Trump. I chosethis topic for my paper because it re-lates to people traveling to Americaand it is something I'm really interest-ed about. I enjoy planning, travelingand working with customers and otherpeople. Doing this topic for my seniorproject will help me enhance and ex-pand my knowledge and skills underthis field. It will also help me deter-mine if it's something I really wannapursue as a career in the future.”

That’s also the reason why ChloeSijalbo is jobshadowing a veteri-narian. “That's thecareer I want to gofor. I want to knowif that is what I re-ally want to be inthe future.”

Music will be the focus for JairusLarin’s senior project. “I'm doing a

cover of a song andturning it into aninstrumental. Mypaper topic is aboutwhy music shouldbe a mandatorycourse in highschool,” said Jairus.

“I chose this topic because I believemusic is really important to everyoneand I want to point out some of itsbenefits, and also, I love music and Iwant to expand my knowledge aboutit.” Jairus was intrigued the most witha library mural as a senior project: “Iwould say the one that stood out themost to me is the mural by the librarybecause I never thought someonecould use the school's property to dotheir senior project. I think that's real-ly smart andunique.”Bonie Daoat-

en, explains whyhe selected danceas his Senior Proj-ect: “For me dance

isn't just movements to music, it'smore of a way of expression and emo-tion–as if you bring the music tolife.” The most outstanding seniorproject presentations that I’ve seen inthe past involved any type of musicalor choreography explained Bonie.“Music and dance have always beeninteresting to me since I was youngand so I have a deeper understandingas to why that person chose to presenttheir Senior Project on themusic/dance arts.”

Like Bonie, Vinrichie Bong-caron will be pre-senting somethingthat is interestingand he feels pas-sionate about–arttherapy. Bongcaronis looking forwardto his classmatesand his own future presentation, espe-cially since he hasn’t witnessed anypresentations in the past.

As for me, I will be volunteering forA Cup of Cold Water (ACCW)which is a community Care-Van out-reach program on the island of Maui,led by Episcopalians from four church-es: Good Shepherd in Wailuku, HolyInnocents in Lahaina, St. John’s in Ku-la and Trinity By-the-Sea in Kïhei. AC-CW is so meaningful and hopeful forthose who are homeless that it mademe–a youth from Good ShepherdEpiscopal Church–want to also be apart of it. I wanted to actually see andhelp those who are in need. Accordingto The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i’sWebsite, “In 2015, A Cup of Cold Wa-ter conducted 158 mission runs andcompleted 8,673 service contacts withpeople in need,” and “in 2016, A Cupof Cold Water conducted 167 missionruns and completed 9,779 service con-tact with people in need.” I want tohelp those in need and even though Imay think it’s not that much, forthem, it means so much. I wanted toresearch and witness how the atmos-phere is for those who intentionallywant to do a good cause for the com-munity. More importantly, I want tolearn more about Maui’s homelessnesspopulation because I have seen somany of them walking around, espe-cially in Kahului, where I live.

I want to help and listen to theirstories of why they are in the situationthey are in. Having that knowledge, Ihope to to understand what our com-munity needs to do to help. Google® Is Not Everything is amonthly column authored by highschool students. The title of the columnemphasizes that education is morethan just googling a topic. Google® isa registered trademark.This month’s guest columnist is An-gela Cainguitan, a senior at MauiHigh School. An-gela is an Ad-vancement viaIndividual Deter-mination (AVID)student at MauiHigh School andis interested inbecoming a sur-gical technologist. She is the Presidentof the Good Shepherd Episcopal Churchyouth Council and was selected as oneof fourteen youth in the State to repre-sent Hawai‘i at this summer’s Episcopalyouth Event in Oklahoma. Angela isthe daughter of Benny and Julita Bu-manglag.

aui High School is theonly high school onMaui that requires all

of its graduating seniors to com-plete a Senior Project. Senior Proj-ect involves a proposal that needsto be approved and signed by Ti’aJoaquin, the Curriculum Coordi-nator. The required documents in-clude a signed mentor agreement,a contact log to record your min-imum of twenty hours, and a jour-nal log with at least eight entries.

To be able to successfully completea Senior Project, the students must ap-ply time management, planning, andsupport an idea or cause using theirown skills. As students brainstorm,plan, collaborate, network, and fulfilltheir proposed projects, they are ontheir way to find themselves personal-ly while doing a project that intereststhem.

This summer, Justine Yagin de-cided to lead aBible school forchildren at herchurch, CentralMaui Church ofChrist. Justine says,“Upon leading andplanning this event, I have learnedseveral new skills as well as experi-enced what it is like to be a teacher tomany children.” By doing this, Justinelearned she enjoys working with kids

and planning les-sons as well asspeaking, whicheventually inspiredher to become ateacher. Anotherstudent, CortneyTabujara, who is


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Is Not Everything…Senior Projects at Maui High SchoolAngela Cainguitan | M A U I H I G H S C H O O L

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