A storied careerJustice Ramil’s story is a

great immigrant’s story. Bornin Quezon City, Philippines in1946, Ramil and his familymoved to San Francisco whenhe was ten years old. In 1972,Ramil received his Bachelor ofArts degree from CaliforniaState University Hayward.Three years later, Ramilearned his Juris Doctorate de-gree from the University ofCalifornia Hastings College ofLaw.

Justice Ramil moved toHawai‘i and in 1975, joinedthe State of Hawai‘i Depart-ment of Attorney Generalwhere he made life-longfriends and began his career

in public service. At that time,three other notable young Fil-ipinos served as Deputy Attor-neys General: Chris Pablo (as-signed to the Department ofTaxation), Abelina Shaw (as-signed to the Department ofHealth), and Robin Campani-ano (assigned to the Depart-ment of Education and theUniversity of Hawai‘i). Allfour became politically active,contributed to the Filipinocommunity, and become ex-perts in various fields: Pabloin Health, Shaw in Govern-ment, and Campaniano in In-surance.

“When I met Mario in per-son the day he started at theAG’s office, we discovered wehad both attended a meeting

of Filipino attorneys in theBay Area earlier that year. Hewas a recent law graduateand I was still in law school.We recalled we were both op-timistic the meeting wouldstart the formation of a barassociation that could be veryeffective, and also helpful tous. However most of themeeting was focused on thedebate of whether the organi-zation was to be called theFilipino Bar Association ofNorthern California or thePilipino Bar Association ofNorthern California. Years lat-er, when Mario was an Asso-ciate Justice, he was asked tospeak to that organization, Ican’t remember what they

ith the beginningof the liturgicalseason of Lent on

Ash Wednesday, which thisyear is on March 1, and thenthe celebration of the Solem-nity of Easter on April 16, re-ligion will play a large rolethis month and next in ourFilipino community. ThePhilippines is the only Chris-tian country in Asia and thatwas the result of theSpaniards bringing Catholi-cism to the country when Fer-dinand Magellan first landed(and was killed) in Cebu in1521. But the first religion

that was introduced to thePhilippines was Islam, whichwas introduced in the 14thcentury to the southern Philip-pines—Sulu and Mindanao.The vast majority of Filipinosare still Roman Catholic, withsome estimates over 85%.And despite the Spaniards andlater the Americans’ efforts,there is still a sizeable Muslimpopulation in southern Philip-pines. Our Kalooban, the em-bedded spirit of the Filipino,our “spiritual essence,” is aliveand well, in its various forms.

When the first Sakadas ar-

umble. Extraordi-nary. Brilliant. Men-tor. A great friend. A

true public servant.Just some of the words

that friends, government offi-cials, and those in the legalcommunity used to describedthe late Hawai‘i SupremeCourt Associate Justice MarioR. Ramil who died on January30, 2017 at the age of 70. Heis survived by his wife Judyand his two sons Jonathanand Bradley.

Our KaloobanJohn Tomosoencourages allto live their“ spirit” this Holiday Season.

Chef JakeEaster Season... To Feast or To Fast

Page 13

see KALOOBAN p. 2

Page 1

Love Story WinnerRead the winning tale of our SakadaLove Story Contest.Page 16

see MARIO RAMIL p. 5

Mario Ramil: A Justice for the PeopleCelebrating the Life of Associate Justice Mario Ramil, June 21, 1946– JAnuARy 30, 2017Alfredo G. Evangelista & Gilbert Keith-Agaran

H

Kalooban: The Filipino inSpirit and in ReligionJohn A.H. Tomoso

On Easter Sunday, Christ the King Church celebrates Salubong, areenactment of the Risen Christ's meeting with Mother Mary.

PHOTO COURTESY PAUL MADRIAGA PIGAO

March–April · Vol 1 No2 FILIPINO AMERICAN VOICE • UPLIFTING OUR COMMUNITY

Filipino Foodie, VinceBagoyo shows us properfoods to eat for Lent!p.10

Enjoy our new pictorialpage, “ Around OurCommunity!”p.17

Does Duterte’s policies onthe war on drugs makehim a murderer?p.19

W

inside

PHOTO COURTESY: HAWAI‘I JUDICIARY

of life here on Maui. We are all thebetter because of it.

My own spiritual journey, so far, iscircuitous yet clearly one that leadsme to God. I grew up Catholic, prac-ticing the Faith while attendingCatholic Schools through college.Now, after discernment and a forma-tion and education program that last-ed four years, I was ordained a Priestin the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i inJuly 2016. Currently, my liturgical,pastoral and education assignmentstake me throughout Maui and Hawai‘iNei. Also, in my continuing practice asa Social Worker, I have come to a newunderstanding that my Kalooban, pos-itively affects how I engage my vari-ous clients.

Even though I was born and raised

here on Maui, I believe otherKababayan from away can understandmy own experiences as a Filipino. Ittook me a while to put these traits toword, but, let me now cite what Ithink are the traits that Filipinos, bothhere and abroad, can relate to. First,we are oriented to our family, to eachother in intimate living conditions andrelationships. It is with those we knowand love that we find our center andfocus, our security and stability, oursense of belonging and worth. Second,we give and accept being friendly,hospitable and kind to each other. Weespecially do this by sharing food, byeating together. Third, we are sensi-tive and compassionate to and witheach other, when it comes to under-

rived in Hawai‘i in 1906, they broughtCatholicism with them. Anak, theMaui Filipino Centennial Book, has achapter on Religion titled “In God WeTrust” that covers the role religionplayed in the lives of Filipinos inHawai‘i. On Maui, many Churcheshave a significant number of Filipinoparishioners. This extends to not onlyto Roman Catholic churches but alsomany Protestant churches. Three Mauichurches have or will celebrate signif-icant anniversaries, anniversaries thatcontribute to the nurturance ofKalooban.

On August 28, 2016, Maui Evangel-ical Church in Kahului celebrated its50th anniversary. Maui Evangelicalwas dedicated on August 27, 1972 af-ter several former members of the Pu-unene Filipino Evangelical Churchcame together with others to buildMaui Evangelical Church on Hina Av-enue in Kahului. At the 50th anniver-sary, the Church’s multipurpose Com-munity Hall was dedicated in honor ofthe late Rev. Walter Baloaloa, whoserved as pastor for over thirty nineyears. Baloaloa was well-knownthroughout Maui and intermittentlypastored other churches. He oftenspoke of Kalooban, as the indigenousspirit and life of the Filipino, sharedwith our friends and neighbors.

On November 26, 2017, Christ theKing Catholic Church will celebrate its85th anniversary. Christ the King wasblessed by Bishop Stephen Alencastre,SS.CC. on October 30, 1932, TheFeast of Christ the King. Over theyears, the church grew with the addi-

tion of a school in 1955, a Convent in1961, a Cafetorium in 1963, an ex-panded Rectory in 1969, and a majorrenovation of the church in 1981. OnJuly 1, 2004, Christ the King Parishwas given to the pastoral care of theMissionaries of Our Lady of La Salette,from the Order’s Philippine Province.From that point on, the Pastors havebeen from the Philippines. It can besaid that the expression of Kaloobanhas taken on new meaning in thislarge parish.

On February 26, 2017, Good Shep-herd Episcopal Church concluded itscelebration of its 150th anniversary.On February 25, 1866, the Rev.George B. Whipple who had arrivedfrom Minnesota the prior week, con-ducted the first Anglican Liturgy inWailuku. A church was later built onland donated by King Kamehamehaand Queen Emma. Ministry to Fil-ipinos at Good Shepherd began inSeptember 1959 with the Rev. Timo-teo P. Quintero, from the PhilippineIndependent Church, holding monthlyservices. In 1965, with the arrival ofRev. Justo R. Andres, Filipino ministrybecame “full-time”, until Fr. Andresleft in 1983. Today, over 70% of theparishioners are of Filipino ancestry.Kalooban, especially with the youngergenerations, has taken on new mean-ing and expression, often a blend thatis from the multi-cultural milieu thatis Hawai‘i.

There are many other faith commu-nities here on Maui, an ecumenical ar-ray that provides a spiritual and reli-gious home to Maui’s Filipino commu-nity. Filipinos are a very spiritual peo-ple and I know that Kalooban, ourspiritual essence and way of living haspositively affected our way and quality

Kalooban…from p. 1

2 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

As part of its 85th Anniversary celebration, Christ the King Church held its annualbazaar where Flo Labuguen, Christine Gumpal, Judy Moniz, and Lucy Peros were incharge of registration. PHOTO: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

Maui FCU is a Western Union® Agent location you can visit to send money to the Philippines

107 East Wäkea Avenue • Kahului, Hawai‘i 96732Phone (808) 873-5050 • www.mauifcu.com

Western Union services are available to all Maui FCU membersMembership eligibility requirements apply

see KALOOBAN p. 4

At Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Easter Sunday services includes baptisms.PHOTO COURTESY: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

John A. Hauoli Tomoso was ordainedto the priesthood by the Rt. Rev.Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop of theEpiscopal Diocese of Hawai‘i.PHOTO COURTESY: GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

Macario Tomoso arrived on Maui in 1910.PHOTO COURTESY: JOHN TOMOSO

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 3

Tante UrbanEDITOR & PRESIDENT • FIL-AM VOICE

Editor’s DeskFrom the

n this issue we focus on reli-gion and its influence on ourlives, inside and outside of

church. To be clear, the evolutionfrom being religious to becomingspiritual is a personal and lifelongjourney. Each of us undergoes thisprimary experience in our ownway, determined by the circum-stances into which we are born,and enhanced or diminished bythe defining moments along ourwalkabout. Perhaps more signifi-cant is each one's awareness ofself, as we give meaning to themoment. Let me share with youmy reflections on my ongoingjourney.

The importance of church lifeduring my early childhood cannotbe overstated. I am a son of a de-voted Catholic mother. I wastaught early in life to value myCatholic faith. I was baptized andraised as a Catholic. As a youngboy, I remember my mother pray-ing the Novena early in the morn-ing. She always took me to churchon Sundays and I became an Altarserver. Throughout my youth, Iremember that as a family wecould not eat meat during HolyWeek, especially on Ash Wednes-day and Good Friday before East-er. For those who are believers inthe Catholic religion, we learnthat Jesus died for us and gave upHis flesh on our behalf, and as aresult, as Catholics we are not al-lowed to eat meat until Easter.My mother always served us veg-etables and fish throughout theLenten season.

When I migrated to Hawai‘i in1968, I immediately attended col-lege in Hilo and continued goingto church while living there. In notime, I found a job as a dishwash-er and began to work part time.

Then I realized that the focus ofmy life was going to school fulltime and working part time.Church became secondary. I be-came too occupied with work andschool. Even though I was not at-tending church regularly, I stillprayed by myself in my rentalunit. I have always believed andtrusted in God in everything thatI do.

After graduation from college, Ibegan working at hotels andrestaurants, using my skills in thekitchen as a cook. My hours werevery unpredictable as I held twojobs, back to back. From then on,working full time consumed mytime daily. As I reflect on my  ear-lier years through the present, Ihave not consistently gone tochurch on Sundays, but neverthe-less, I am who I am today becauseof my belief in God and the teach-ings of the Catholic Church, nomatter if I go to church or not.The combination of my parents'training grounded in their reli-gious beliefs and the teachings ofthe church laid the foundation forwhat is good in me today. In con-versations with many others, Ihave learned that a similar foun-dation for a positive perspective inadult life is attributed to thesesame roots.

With gratitude and on behalfof our staff and publishers, ourwarmest thanks go out to our ad-vertisers, distribution centers, con-tributors and readers for your en-couragement and many positivecomments. With your support, wework hard to move forward to ac-complish our mission to uplift thespirit of our community and toenhance our collective spirituality,both inside and outside of church.

My Faith Shaped MeWith your support, we’ll continue to shapeand uplift the spirit of our community.

L O C A T I O N24 Central Avenue

Wailuku, Maui, Hawai‘i USA 96793

Editor • PublisherTante Urbaneditor@filamvoicemaui.com

Treasurer • Co-PublisherVince Bagoyo, Jr.Vince@filamvoicemaui.com

Secretary • Co-PublisherAlfredo EvangelistaAlfredo@filamvoicemaui.com

Co-PublisherElizabeth Ayson, PhD.Elizabeth@filamvoicemaui.com

Art Director • Co-PublisherLawrence Pascuagraphics@filamvoicemaui.com

Account ExecutiveCo-PublisherSharon ZalsosAdvertising@filamvoicemaui.com

Contributing Writers

Elizabeth Ayson PhD

Vince Bagoyo, Jr.

Art Baxa

Joaquin “Jake” Belmonte

Alfredo Evangelista

Susan Halas

Gilbert Keith-Agaran

Lawrence Pascua

Lucy Peros

Liza Pierce

Aniceto “Chito” Ribao

John Tomoso

Tante Urban

Sharon Zalsos

DistributionPaul Manzano

C O N T A C TTel: (808) 242-8100

Email:info@filamvoicemaui.com

I N T E R N E TWeb:

www.filamvoicemaui.comFacebook:

facebook.com/FilAmVoiceMaui

4 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

I

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.

standing how and what we can all, attimes, suffer and endure in life. Wehave empathy for each other. Fourth,we respect and thrive on authority,often seeing those in charge and inleadership as heroes or worthy ofemulation. Lastly, we are, deeplyspirit-oriented and spiritual. Welearn, from a very young age, tofoundation all that we know and ex-perience, through our senses, emo-tions and personhood, upon realities,spirits that we don’t necessarily seebut can feel, from deep within our-selves. All five of these traits weretaught, even bestowed on methrough my relating tomy elders. I can re-member growing upand being told storiesabout how all livingthings are somehow sa-cred and manifesta-tions of the divine; thatGod was very muchsurrounding who I was.My kalooban, my spiritwas embedded in me,from a very early age,and I still relate to oth-ers in the intimate, sen-sitive and socially-ori-ented ways of my eld-ers. I became a SocialWorker, in part, be-cause I was raised torelate to and haveabiding respect for allthings, for all people.

Filipino traits, ways of being, re-lating and living, translate themselvesinto how I believe we then relate toGod. We probably all know what thisis. Simply, it is how we live with thedivine, with God, who created every-thing, including ourselves. Surround-ed by all that God made, I can thinkof three major ways in which Fil-ipinos live out their kalooban, turningtheir spirit into religious beliefs andpractices. First, we develop a deepsense of prayer; of talking to andcommunicating with God. Second,we cultivate this deep sense of divineand sacred communicating, into

prayer for each other. Third, we lookfor and nurture prayerful supportfrom each other, including from thesacred institutions we attend and be-long to, the most important of whichis the church.

A Filipino priest I knew while incollege, a visiting Philosophy Profes-sor, Fr. Tino, told me that his ownsense of “being a Filipino” was madesolid by the fact that everythingabout himself, both physical and spir-itual, was an interwoven mat, whichhe called kalooban, i.e. the very real-ity and essence of the Filipino spirit.Explaining himself more, he dis-cussed with me how he thought thatto pray was to live thankfully andhumbly; that God hears us all thetime; that we help others hear God

and that in prayer wesupport and, in a spiri-tual way, become onewith each other. I real-ly liked this priest, Fr.Tino. He taught me aphrase, which I did nothear growing up, butwhich made sense tome, from the first timeI heard it. It was “Ba-hala na;” “Leaving it toGod,” so as to findpeace of mind.

Thinking of thetremendous difficultiesmy grandparents hadto endure to come toMaui, back in 1910, Ifeel that they musthave, indeed said,more than a few times,“Bahala na!” And, com-

ing to a new land, a new island, theymust have surely related, spirituallyand religiously, to what they wereseeing around them. In getting usedto a new land, a new way of life,they embedded their spirit and theirsense, experience and knowledge ofthe divine, of God in what surround-ed them; the people, who were notall Filipino and in the signs and real-ity of nature. They took their Filipinotraits (the five I described at the be-ginning of this article) and endured,thrived and succeeded, weaving theirown mat, their kalooban, that still is

Kalooban…from p. 2

Priscila Baloaloa andher daughter ShaniLeah Baloaloa Morolesand son James EricBaloaloa were presentduring the dedicationof Maui Evangelical'smulti-purpose hall inhonor of Pastor WalterBaloaloa.PHOTO COURTESY: MIGUEL MORALES, MAUI EVANGELICAL CHURCH

Corrections to January–February 2017 IssueWe hate to make mistakes but it happens and we do appreciate your calling it to our attention.

In “Filipinos Eye Increased Politi-cal Clout...”, Alika Atay’s mother, Fe-ly Bantilan, has roots in the Philip-pines.

In “What Do You Think,” Conradohas roots in Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

All emails were incorrect in our

previous issue, but the correct emailaddresses are now shown left, in ourmasthead, and throughout this wholecurrent issue.

Please email your corrections toinfo@filamvoicemaui.com. Thankyou and Maraming Salmat Po!

see KALOOBAN p. 18

“My kalooban,my spirit wasembedded in me, from a very earlyage, and I still relate to others in theintimate, sensitive and socially-oriented waysof my elders.”

– JOHN A.H. TOMOSO

Making the ListThe death of Justice James Wakat-

suki in late 1992 created a vacancy onthe Hawai‘i Supreme Court. Ramilmade the list of six but Waihee select-ed Sharon Himeno, the wife of his At-torney General. When the State Sen-ate rejected Himeno by a 17–7 vote,Waihee had ten days to select fromthe original list. There was consider-able pressure from women’s groups toappoint a female. Less significantly,there was also pressure from the Fil-ipino community due to the dearth ofFilipino judges. Behind the scenes,Agsalud lobbied Waihee to appoint his

protégé and succeeded.During the Senate confirmation

process, Ramil spoke about his experi-ence and what was needed on theSupreme Court: “I have been involvedin politics, there’s no secret about that.But I made rulings against my friendswhen I was insurance commissioner.People understand that’s how youhave to operate. My experience as in-surance commissioner, as well as di-rector of labor, are very relevant tothe Supreme Court. We must have aSupreme Court with a human factor,with compassion and sensitivity. I alsoagree that the analytical side is very

called themselves,” recalled Campani-ano.

Deputy Attorney General Ramil ad-vised the Department of Labor and In-dustrial Relations (DLIR). His mostsignificant accomplishment was hisrepresentation of Hawai‘i at the NinthCircuit Court of Appeals and his testi-mony before committees in the U.S.House of Representatives and U.S.Senate to save Hawai‘i’s PrepaidHealth Care Act of 1974 from beingpreempted by ERISA, the federal lawwhich governs pension and healthplans in private industry.

The mentorship by Agsalud

At that time, DLIR Director JoshuaAgsalud became Ramil’s confidant andmentor. Politically active in the risingHawai‘i Democratic Party, Agsalud re-cruited Ramil, Campaniano, Pablo,and Shaw to be part of FFA (Filipinosfor Ariyoshi). “Chris, Mario and Iwould always talk about what wecould and should do for the Filipinocommunity, and for Hawai‘i as awhole,” said Campaniano. “Our discus-sions started from our days in the AG’soffice and would continue for the restof our lives.”

When George Ariyoshi won theGovernor’s office, he appointed Ramilin 1984 as his Insurance Commission-er. According to Campaniano, who fol-lowed Ramil as Insurance Commis-

sioner, Ramil took over an underfund-ed and overwhelmed unit and quicklygained the trust and confidence ofstate legislators, as well as his fellowcommissioners. During his tenure,Ramil substantially rolled back insur-ance rates against the wishes of the in-surance companies. Ramil also tookdecisive action by naming himself asreceiver of Financial Security Insur-ance Company (FSIC) when FSICfailed to pay claims in a timely fash-ion. Ramil also sued the owner ofFSIC and related companies when hediscovered they had misappropriatedand misapplied FSIC’s funds and as-sets.

In 1987, Agsalud left DLIR to be-come Executive Assistant of newlyelected Governor John Waihee andRamil became Labor Director. Waihee,in a statement to the Star Advertiser,said he appointed Ramil because “Hewas very pro-consumer, pro-peopleand pro-little guy.” Ramil’s Profession-al Biography described his duties asDLIR Director as an administrator andenforcer of Hawai‘i’s labor laws, over-seeing over 800 employees and abudget of approximately $175 millionfrom state and federal funds. In his ca-pacity as Director, Ramil also servedas a Hearings Officer in contested cas-es, lobbied for the state administrationat the legislature, interacted with em-ployers and unions, and handled em-ployee grievances filed by unions.

Ramil would serve as Labor Direc-tor until 1991 when he entered privatepractice with the Honolulu law firm ofLyons, Brandt, Cook and Hiramatsu.

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 5

Mario Ramil…from p. 1

Ramil and his Judicial Assistant Elaine Yamashita with Dumlao. PHOTO COURTESY JAMESNER DUMLAO

see MARIO RAMIL p. 6

important, as is integrity.” The SenateCommittee on Executive Appoint-ments unanimously approved Ramil’sappointment and Ramil was subse-quently confirmed by the entire StateSenate.

A Part of HistoryWhen Ramil was sworn in as Asso-

ciate Justice of the Supreme Court ofHawai‘i on May 13, 1993, he becameonly the second Supreme Court Jus-tice of Filipino ancestry in the country,the first being another Hawai‘i Associ-ate Justice, Benjamin Menor, whoserved from 1974 through 1981. Re-tired Associate Justice Simeon R. Aco-ba, Jr., who was appointed to the highcourt in 2000 and retired in 2014,said “Mario never forgot his roots andhow fortunate it was that he had beenappointed to the highest court in thestate.” Ramil and Acoba would serveon the court together for two years. “Itwas not lost on us that it was the firsttime in the history of Hawai‘i that twojustices of Filipino ancestry were serv-

ing at the same time on the SupremeCourt. We felt this was a reflection ofthe progress that the Filipino commu-nity had made in so many other ar-eas.” In 2014, the Filipino CommunityCenter honored Ramil for his publicservice during the Center’s annualBayanihan celebration. Acoba was alsohonored that evening.

On the Supreme Court, Ramilserved as the Assignment Justice, re-sponsible for reviewing and assigningappeals to the Intermediate Court ofAppeals and to the individual Justicesof the Hawai‘i Supreme Court.

Writing Opinions, Concurrences, and Dissents

As an Associate Justice, Ramil au-thored opinions in all areas of the law.Acoba said Ramil’s greatest impactwas in the area of labor law. “Mariobelieved strongly in the right of collec-tive bargaining and the worker’s rightto bargain. He wrote a particularstatute violated the Hawai‘i Constitu-tion because the Hawai‘i Constitutionprotected the right ‘to engage in nego-tiations concerning... wages, hours,and other conditions of employment’.Mario said that right could not beeliminated by statute and was very

adamant that a different readingwould be ‘contrary to the underlyingobject and purpose of the constitution-al provision’ and ‘meaningless.’”

Current Hawai‘i Supreme CourtChief Justice Mark Recktenwald ex-pressed his sadness upon Ramil’s pass-ing. “He was an outstanding justicewho made a lasting impact on theSupreme Court, and a warm and car-ing person.”

Former law clerks spoke of his in-tellect, his compassion, and his sup-port and mentorship. “Justice MarioRamil was a bright, extraordinary manand jurist. I, along with his fellow law

clerks, truly admired him. His passingis a great loss to our entire communi-ty,” said Lynn Araki-Regan, a pastpresident of the Maui County Bar As-sociation and who served as Ramil’slaw clerk from 1995 to 1996.

Jamesner Dumlao, a past presidentof the Filipino Chamber of Commerceof Hawai‘i and who served as Ramil’s

law clerk from 1999–2000, echoedAraki-Regan’s sentiments: “The honorof clerking for Justice Ramil was aninvaluable experience and, in manyways, the highlight of my legal career.I’m forever grateful to Justice Ramil

for his mentorship and hisfriendship. He was a principledman whose effective advocacywas not measured by the vol-ume of his voice but the com-pelling nature of his reason andhis intellect. He urged me tothoroughly vet things from mul-tiple points of view but particu-larly through the lenses of com-mon sense, the common good,and the perspective of the com-mon person. The responsibilityof getting it right extended be-yond just the parties litigatingthe case but to Hawai‘i as awhole. How we went about ap-plying the law to the facts re-flected our underlying demo-cratic values. He was a compas-sionate man whose character

was uncommon.”Dumlao recalls how Justice Ramil

often fondly reflected on his opinionin Konno v. County of Hawai‘i, whichdealt with the issue of privatization.Justice Ramil wrote: “We emphasizethat nothing in this opinion should beinterpreted as passing judgment, oneway or the other, on the wisdom of

privatization. Whether or not, as apolicy matter, private entities shouldbe allowed to provide public servicesentails a judgment ordinarily con-signed to the legislature. Our decisiontoday merely applies the civil servicelaws of this state to the example ofprivatization at issue in the presentappeal. As we have discussed above,privatization involves two important,but potentially conflicting, policy con-cerns. On the one hand, privatizationpurportedly can improve the efficiencyof public services. On the other hand,privatization can interfere with thepolicies underlying our civil service,i.e., elimination of the spoils systemand the encouragement of openness,merit, and independence. Given theimportance of these policy concernsand the potential conflict betweenthem, clear guidance from the legisla-ture is indispensable... Privatizationmay, or may not, be a worthy idea;we do not, and indeed should not, ex-press an opinion in this regard. But ifprivatization is attempted by the gov-ernment, it must be done in accor-dance with the laws of this state.”

Scott Arakaki, a past president ofthe Honolulu Filipino Junior Chamberof Commerce and who served asRamil’s law clerk from 1994–1995,(and whose law firm Ramil later be-came Of Counsel to several years afterhis retirement) remembered JusticeRamil for “being thoughtful abouthow the Court’s opinions would affectlegal precedence and work in the realworld.” Arakaki said he recalls oneopinion that Justice Ramil really wasproud of: Bumanglag v. O‘ahu Sugar,a worker’s compensation case. Bu-manglag, who did not complete highschool, immigrated from the Philip-pines at age 37 and a year later, be-gan working with O‘ahu Sugar. Seven-teen years later, Bumanglag suffered aback injury, received workers compen-sation benefits, and got injured again.Bumanglag saw many doctors, includ-ing several doctors selected by the em-ployer. The Labor Board ruled Bu-manglag was permanently and totallydisabled and O‘ahu Sugar appealed.O‘ahu Sugar argued that Bumanglag’sage, limited education, and limitedtransferable skills constituted odd-lotfactors which would essentially reduceO‘ahu Sugar’s responsibility. Ramildismissed O‘ahu Sugar’s arguments:

6 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

Mario Ramil…from p. 5

Ramil with (back row) Campaniano, AmyAgbayani, Eddie Flores, Jr., and GovernorLinda Lingle during a reception honoringPhilippine President Corazon Aquino.PHOTO COURTESY: ROBIN CAMPANIANO

In 2014, the Filipino Community Center honored Justices Ramil (with wife Judy) andAcoba (with wife Carolyn).PHOTO COURTESY: THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY CENTER, INC.

At the Filipino Community Center gala event, Ramil was presented by Governor John Wai-hee (third from right), shown with officials from the Filipino Community Center and legisla-tive leaders.PHOTO COURTESY: THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY CENTER, INC.

During his retirement, Ramil would join law clerks Scott Arakaki and Bryan Andaya(extreme right) and friends in the annual Filipino Chamber Foundation golf tournament. PHOTO COURTESY: BRYAN ANDAYA

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 7

“[A]side from Claimant’s age, it wouldbe inaccurate to classify these odd-lotfactors as disabilities because in allprobability these were the very factorsthat caused Claimant to remain em-ployed, thus providing Employer withvaluable service for seventeen years.”Ramil said the use of “odd-lot factorssuch as education and transferableskills cannot be considered impair-ments of either a physical or mentalfunction...” The Bumanglag decisionreflected that Ramil never forgot hisimmigrant roots and the difficultiesfaced by those who toiled in labor. AsRamil stated during hisconfirmation hearings,you need a “SupremeCourt with a human fac-tor, with compassionand sensitivity.”

“More than anyoneelse, Justice Ramil hadthe most profound influ-ence on my career. Thegreatest gift he taughtthis boy from Hilo wasto believe in himselfwhen no one else be-lieved he would everamount to anything,”said Bryan Andaya, apast president of theUnited Filipino Councilof Hawai‘i and currentlythe Chief Operating Of-ficer of L&L HawaiianBarbecue, who servedas Ramil’s law clerk from 1998 to2000. “He was kind, big hearted, andcompassionate with a brilliant mindand the rare ability to relate to peopleof all walks of life.”

Andaya’s personal favorite of aRamil opinion is State v. Rogan,where the unanimous Supreme Courtoverturned the conviction of a blackman due to prosecutorial misconduct.During closing arguments the prosecu-tor made reference to the defendant’srace in attempting to inflame the juryinto a conviction. “[W]e note that ar-guments by the prosecution contrivedto stimulate racial prejudice representa brazen attempt to subvert a criminaldefendant’s right to trial by an impar-

tial jury as guaranteed by both thesixth amendment to the United StatesConstitution and article I, section 14of the Hawai‘i Constitution,” wroteJustice Ramil. “Such arguments fosterjury bias through racial stereotypesand group predilections, thereby pro-moting an atmosphere that is inimicalto the consideration of the evidenceadduced at trial. Moreover, such anappeal to racial prejudice threatensour multicultural society and constitu-tional values.” Ramil reminded attor-neys of their responsibilities: “Accord-ingly, appeals to racial prejudice lack

the professionalism anddecorum required of at-torneys who practice be-fore the bar of thecourts of Hawai‘i andwill not be tolerated.”Andaya said “For me,this case encapsulatesJustice Ramil’s commit-ment to the Constitutionas a safeguard againstthe tyranny of the ma-jority and the abuse ofpower, and demon-strates his compassionfor the underdog in soci-ety and belief in thegood of humanity.”

Acoba provided an-other example whereJustice Ramil was firmin his principles. Ade-quate compensation for

court appointed lawyers became an is-sue in a case and Ramil believed thatwas endangering the indigent’s rightof adequate representation. Ramilwrote that he “strongly urge[d] theHawai‘i legislature to increase thehourly rate paid to court-appointedprivate counsel.” Ramil received criti-cism for urging the legislature to actbut “strongly disagreed”, stating em-phatically that he had done so because“I deem it my duty”.

Ramil served on the Supreme Courtduring a time when opinions were in-frequently published. Acoba saidRamil strongly believed that as thehighest court in the state, the

When Ramil was sworn in, he became the junior member of the Court, joining PaulaNakayama, Robert Klein, Chief Justice Ronald Moon, and Steven Levinson.PHOTO COURTESY: HONOLULU STAR BULLETIN

see MARIO RAMIL p. 8

… youneed a“SupremeCourtwith a humanfactor,with com-passionand sensi-tivity.”

– MARIO RAMIL

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8 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

Supreme Court’s primary function wasto develop the law by issuing formalopinions that had legal binding effect.Ramil wrote that when there was anunpublished opinion and the justicewho wrote a concurrence or dissentwhich would then not be published,the justice is “impeded in presentinghis or her perspective of the law to in-terested parties.” Ramil cautioned that“we must be careful to never silence ajustice.”

Ramil’s convictions, sense of justice,and empathy for the less fortunatewill never be silenced because hisopinions are part and parcel ofHawai‘i’s law.

Just call me “Mario”But more than that, Justice Ramil

will be missed for just being “Mario”.Acoba said he was liked by every-

one and had a subtle sense of humor.Ramil’s former law clerks spoke of hishosting bbq’s at his house. Campani-ano recalls how he, Pablo, and Ramilwould support each other and urgeeach other to “be the best that wecould be in hopes that we would leadthe way in our respective fields.”

When Ramil last visited Maui inlate June 2016 with Campaniano,Ramil was in high spirits and enjoyeda dinner in Kaanapali with fellow for-mer insurance commissioners and asecond dinner in Kahului–a Kamayan

style dinner at Tante’s with old andnew friends. The old friends remi-nisced about golfing together and en-joyed the food prepared by Tante’s.

Golf became Ramil’s sport. (Whileat the Attorney General’s office, Ramilstarred on the AG’s softball teamcalled Robin’s Hoods alongside futureSupreme Court Justice Robert Kleinand future Public Utilities CommissionChairperson Randy Iwase, among oth-ers.) Ramil’s passion for golf was wellknown. When he retired from the De-partment of Labor, he was gifted with

a driver that was manufacturedin Japan and Ramil, on stageafter accepting the gift, demon-strated his swing.

As a golfer, Ramil recordedtwo holes in one, and traveledto Ireland, Scotland, the Philip-pines as well as California andArizona. Campaniano recallsthat during the Ireland andScotland trips, Ramil and StateRepresentative Isaac Choywould engage in intense, headto head wageringover their roundsof golf, with thewinner pocketingone euro. In re-tirement, Ramilwould engageIwase in weeklytrash talking filledgolfing matches.Iwase witnessedone of Ramil’shole-in-ones a fewyears ago at

Mililani Golf Club, hole#3. Iwase and Ramilweren't sure if there wasa hole in one. “Us twoold futs couldn't see what happened tothe ball so we rushed to the hole andyes, a hole in one! We had such greattimes and the trash talking neverstopped," said Iwase.

Campaniano said Ramil alwayslooked forward to playing in local Fil-ipino golf tournaments such as theState Fil-Am and the Filipino Chamberof Commerce Foundation, during

which Ramil would mostly unsuccess-fully try to beat Filipino Chamber pastpresident Buddy Gendrano.

Integrity and PrincipledFormer Governor Benjamin

Cayetano, who would occasionallygolf with Ramil and always lose toRamil, said: “Mario was a good friend,a good man who dedicated his life toserving Hawai‘i’s people. His soft-spo-ken, humble nature and sharp intellect

earned him the respectof all who knew him. Asonly one of three Fil-ipino-Americans whoserved on the Hawai‘iSupreme Court, Mariounderstood the impor-tance of his role for theFilipino community. Hedid not disappoint, hav-ing served with honorand distinction. He willbe missed.”

Acoba (also a golferthat Ramil consistentlybeat) called it a very sadday when Ramil passed.“It was truly a privilegeto serve with Mario, but

more so to know him. He was a sin-cere, dedicated, and principled col-league. Working with someone close-ly, especially on issues that may becontroversial or intensely contested re-veals the measure of a person. JusticeRamil must be measured as a coura-geous and independent jurist who de-served the respect of all.”

Mario Ramil…from p. 7

Despite the constant trash talking during golfmatches between Ramil and Iwase, Ramil man-aged a hole-in-one at Mililani Golf Course.

PHOTO COURTESY RANDY IWASE

“Us two oldfuts couldn’tsee whathappenedto the ballso werushed tothe hole andyes, a holein one!”

– RANDY IWASE

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 9

Public admission $5 per person. Children 12 and under are free. FREE Parking

SAT., APRIL 1 • 9 AM - 4:30 PM MAUI TROPICAL PLANTATION

I N W A I K A P U

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Presented by:

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#MauiAg FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:MAUI ’S LARGEST AGR ICULTURAL EVENT

• Legacy Farmers Pancake Breakfast and Bingo! Our annual breakfast to honor farm legends.This year we honor: Richard “Dick” Cameron, HC&S; Peter Baldwin, Piiholo Ranch; Doug MacCluer, Maui Pineapple Company, Maui Gold Pineapple Company; Dr. Wilbert Yee, Yee’s Orchard. Bingo offers great prizes. 8 - 11 am.

• Grand Taste Features 12 Locavore chefs. Meet Jeff Scheer of The Mill House. Last year’s winners Gevin Utrillo of Japengo, Ryan Luckey of Leilani’s on the Beach and Mike Lofaro of Humu at Grand Wailea with the island’s best chefs from Merriman’s Kapalua, Cane & Canoe, Three’s Bar & Grill, Hula Grill and more. Chefs vie for Judges’ Choice (selected by media judges), and Fan-Favorite (voted on by the general public). 2:30 - 4:30 pm.

• Liquid Garden Showcasing Maui wine, spirits and beer by MauiWine, Maui Brewing Company and Haliimaile Distillery. 1:30 - 4:30 pm. 21 and older. ID required.

• Grown on Maui Farmers Market Features fresh, flavourful and local produce and value-added products. Meet guest farmers from Hawai‘i island, Kaua‘i and O‘ahu 9 am - 4 pm.

• Keiki Fun Zone Catch entertainment by the Coolangots, Maui Taiko, magic show, and the Honoka’a Jazz Band with a variety of activities for kids and families. We will have cooking classes, livestock exhibit, bouncers, face painting, horseback and pony rides, barnyard games, and food and drinks. 10 am - 4:30 pm.

• Edible Hawaiian Islands presents Live Chefs’ Challenge Three chef teams compete in a friendly and fun LIVE cooking competition. 11:30 am - 1 pm.

• Entertainment Join KPOA 93.5FM Morning Goddess, Alaka’i Paleka at the Main Stage with giveaways every hour and Maui Taiko, the Kamehameha Schools Maui Campus-Hawaiian Ensemble, Lehua Kalima and Shawn Pimentel, Napua Nakasone Greig and Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka and the Kaina Country Band. 9am - 4:30 pm

• Education and Information Meet Maui’s agricultural partners and the experts from the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Ag and Human Resources

Maui County Ag Festival @MauiFarms#MauiAg

mauicountyfarmbureau.org

2017

Alfredo G. Evangelista is a gradu-ate of Maui HS, the university ofSouthern California, and the universityof California at Los Angeles School ofLaw. He is a sole practitioner at LawOffices of Alfredo evangelista, A LimitedLiability Law Company, concentratingin estate planning, business start-upand consultation, non-profit corpora-tions, and litigation. He has been prac-ticing law for 30+ years (since 1983)and returned home in 2010 to be withhis family and to marry his high schoolsweetheart, the former Basilia Idica.

Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran is agraduate of Maui HS, yale College, andBoalt Hall School of Law, the universi-ty of California at Berkeley. He prac-tices commercial, civil and administra-tive law with Takitani Agaran & Jor-gensen, LLLP. He is currently a StateSenator for Central Maui and is chair-person of the Senate Judiciary and La-bor Committee. He previously served inGovernor Benjamin Cayetano’s adminis-tration (where he was the first Filipinoappointed as Chairperson of the StateLand Board) and Mayor AlanArakawa’s administration.

In 1993, the authors, along with Campaniano (back row, left), Pablo (back rowright), and Wilfredo Tungol (back row 3rd), helped to lobby the State Senate toconfirm Ramil’s (seated front center) appointment to the Supreme Court ofHawai‘i.

Our June issue willfeature graduatesand graduations!

If you want to place a congratulatory ad, please contact Sharon Zalsos by

May 7

Call (808) 633-7084 or email advertising@filamvoicemaui.com

10 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

can’t begin to tell you how excit-ed I am to write about my fa-vorite Filipino dish—da Pinoy

desserts! As a side benefit of coveringthis subject matter, I’m able to have ataste of some of my favorite desserts.

It has been a practice among manyFilipino-practicing Roman Catholics toabstain from eating meat every  Fri-

day during Lent and the entire HolyWeek. It is not recommended to eatpork, chicken, beef and other types ofmeat during this time of the year. I re-member quite well—my parents prac-ticed this long-held taboo during theLenten season. Growing up in thePhilippines, this tradition wasn’t muchof a sacrifice since we were not ableto afford to buy meat anyway. And werarely ate meat until we migrated toHawai‘i, where we saw an over-abun-dance of all kinds of meat—just go toCostco or Safeway and you’ll knowwhat I mean.

In the Philippines, Holy Weekor Semana Santa is a big deal so forthe entire week many Filipinos com-memorate the sacrifice, death, andresurrection of the Lord Jesus Christculminating with Easter  Sunday  forsome festive activities. Most Filipinoswho migrated to Hawai‘i brought withthem this cultural and spiritual tradi-tion of not eating meat during theholy week.

The good news, however, is that

you can always consume your favoritePinoy desserts during Holy Week with-out feeling guilty or worrying aboutcalories. So, in the absence of meatduring this period of Lent—it doesn’tstop the Filipinos here in Hawai‘i toprepare their favorite Pinoy desserts.

We all know that every province inthe Philippines has their own specialtyof desserts—and this article of Pinoydesserts lists a few of my favorites thatremind me of the homeland, andmore importantly, reminds meof  nanang’s home-cooked desserts.Here are few of my favorite Filipinosweets. What about you? What areyour favorite Pinoy desserts?1. Cassava Bibingka Cake (Fil-ipino Coconut Cake)—this by far ismy favorite Filipino dessert. I love thisdessert so much that I find myself beg-ging one of our Ilocano friends fromLaoag City to bring this dessert at ourweekly Bible study sessions. Well, youmay be thinking—what about thecalories of this dish—who cares aboutcalories when you are enjoying your

favorite  bibingka. This dessert is athin, unfrosted cake made with cassa-va flour and cream of coconut. Everytime we have a family gathering, wealways have bibingka, and most oftenyou will see this dessert at many Fil-ipino parties here on Maui. This is amust and expected dessert dish atevery Filipino party here at home. Ac-cording to a recent comment from anonline Filipino recipe journal, “cassavaflour has an interesting texture. It isvery fine, but has a bit of grit to it.Once it’s cooked the starches explode(not really, but they do somethingmagical) and the cake becomesspongy and sticky like a cross betweenjello bars and pudding.” For the non-Filipino food  afficionado, this is amust try dessert.2. Leche Flan - if I had to rank myfavorite Pinoy dessert, leche flan is def-

MauiPinoy My FavoritePinoy DessertsDuring Holy Week!

Vince Bagoyo

I

see DESSERTS p. 12

I grow a strong agricultural community.Partnering with farmers to grow more food locally.

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Cassava Bibingka Cake

Leche Flan

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 11

Holy Rosary Church954 Baldwin AvenuePä‘ia, Hawai‘i 96779

Ph: (808) 579-9551calnas@rcchawaii.org

Liturgies Clergy and StaffMass Schedule7:00AM.............Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri.7:30AM.............Sun.5:00PM............. Sat.

Reconciliation / Confession Schedule4:30–5:00PM.... Sat. - Also by appointment

Rev. Cipriano AlnasPARISH ADMINISTRATOR

John CostalesCOORDINATOR

Cyrilla & Felix PascualRCIA PROGRAM COORDINATORS

Vergel & Almie LonzagaLITURGY/MUSIC DIRECTORSWORSHIP & LITURGY COORDINATORS

Schedule of MassHoly Monday........ Wednesday · 6:00PM*Holy Tuesday Mass for the sick

Holy Week SchedulePalm Sunday.................................... April 9 · 7:30AM

Paschal TriduumHoly Thursday: Last Supper.......6:30PMGood Friday......................................3:00PMEaster Vigil (Saturday Night)..... 7:30PM

Easter Sunday.................................. 7:30AM

Easter Egg Hunting for kids to follow!

ment in a variety of positions includingCouncilman (1991 to 1992), Director,Department of Housing and HumanConcerns, and Director, Department ofWater Supply. He was previously Pres-ident of Läna‘i Holdings and WaterCompany and Vice President of Läna‘i

Company. He is currently the Vice Pres-ident of the Maui Memorial MedicalCenter Foundation and was the Chair-person of the Maui Filipino CentennialCelebration Coordinating Council. Hiswife Jennifer is an Rn at Maui Memo-rial Hospital.

12 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

Mahalo & Maraming

Salamat Poto all my friends

and family for your continued

trust and support.

Maui No Ka Oi

ROOTED . CAPABLE. EFFECTIVE. . .

Paid for by Friends of Gil Keith-Agaran

P.O. Box 857 Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793

Congratulationsto the Fil-Am Voice

initely one of my top five for a verysimple reason: it’s smooth, creamy,and with a sweet taste of caramel.Well, let me assure you that this dishis the melt-in-your mouth dessertyou’ll ever have the pleasure of eatinganytime of the year. Flan, or caramelpudding, is a custard dessert with alayer of soft caramel on top, as op-posed to crème brûlée, which is pud-ding with a hard caramel top. Thisdish is made with eggs, milk, and sug-ar and flavored with vanilla andcooked delicately. The word leche isSpanish for milk. I was told by manyof my Kababayan friends that this dishwas originated from the regions alongthe “border of France and Spain andwas brought to the Philippines at thetime of Spanish colonization.”3. Suman (Filipino Rice Cake withCoconut) - a favorite dessert with theIlokanos in northern part of Luzon. Itconsists mainly of 3 ingredients: sweetrice, coconut milk, and brown sugaror molasses. Some serve it with top-pings, some don’t. This rice dessert,suman, is popular during New Yearcelebrations in the Philippines, be-cause many Ilokanos believe that ifyou consume as many sweet treats asyou can handle during this time, thecoming year will be a good one. Iguess; we can always find good excus-es to have Pinoy desserts anytime ofthe year!4. Halo-halo (“Mixed Together”) - apopular Filipino dessert for every oc-casion especially during the summer.

Halo-halo consists of a mixture of fineshaved ice and evaporated milk towhich various ingredients are added,including boiled sweet beans, co-conut, sago, gulaman (agar jelly), av-ocado, banana, and melon. Add a spe-cial treat of ube ice cream and it willmake this dessert a one-of-a-kind,“broke da mouth” experience. If youare looking for good halo-halo onMaui, you may want to try Tante’sRestaurant in Kahului!

Vince Bagoyo, Jr. is the Presidentand Owner of V. Bagoyo DevelopmentGroup. He was graduated from Chami-nade university, where he received hisBachelor of Arts degree majoring in Po-litical Science and Business Administra-tion. He earned a Masters of Public Ad-ministration (Government Finance)from California State university, LongBeach. Bagoyo has served in govern-

Desserts…from p. 10

Suman Halo-halo

Palm Sunday service in the Philippines. PHOTO COURTESY: RAMON F. VELASQUEZ

Holy Week and Easter BunnyWhat are your childhood easter memories?Liza of “ A Maui Blog”

Kwento Kwentuhan

May I ask you a question? Whenyou think back on your childhoodmemories, what comes to yourmind when I ask you to recall yourEaster Memories?

Growing up in the Philippines,my memories of Easter revolvearound a solemnevent we refer to as“Holy Week.” Here iswhat Holy Week cele-bration was to us.

•We went “home” tothe province for thatweek to spend timewith our family andrelatives. When Isay home, it’s actu-ally my grandpar-ents’ home. We lived in the city;Quezon City, Metro Manila. Andso going to our province—Bula-can, for the Holy Week—was abig deal, and something I lookedforward to.

• Holy Week was a time to get to-gether with family and friends. Iremember my Tita Manding hav-ing puto, suman and bibingka. We

would also feast on various freshpicked fruits from our grandpar-ent’s trees; Bayabas (guavas), San-tol (not sure what it’s called here),and Kaymito (Star Apple).

• During Holy Week, we participat-ed in religious rituals like bringing

“palaspas” to churchon Palm Sunday, put-ting ashes on our fore-head on Ash Wednes-day, and Stations ofthe Cross on GoodFriday. I also recallnot eating meat onGood Friday. The in-teresting thing aboutnot eating meat on aGood Friday was that

we feasted on seafood. And sinceseafood such as prawns, crabs andfish are my favorites, I didn’t mindnot having meat at all.

• I remember all the televisionchannels all played movies basedon the Bible and other religiousmovies on Monday, Thursday,Good Friday and Black Saturday.The regular programming was

“I remembermy TitaMandinghavingputo,suman, bibingka.”

hat’s more recognized asthe week of CelebratingEaster in the western

world is known as Holy Week in thePhilippines. For most believers, it is al-so known as the Lenten Season. It is aseason for spiritual cleansing, and youbet, other than seeking for spiritualhealing, it is absolutely the time forfasting and praying. What is beingpracticed is what would reflect one’sreligious belief, and yes, this is a seri-ous time about recognizing one’s spir-ituality.

Meanwhile, what’s fascinating isthat most Filipino-Americans tend tocelebrate Easter by following whatother cultures do, and that is to havea feast on one of the most celebratedfood events on a busy Sunday in mostMaui hotels and restaurants, raved tobe the Easter Brunch. Displays of lav-ish international delicacies are show-cased on grandiose buffet tables.What’s alarming is that no one is lim-ited on what we can pile on ourplates, and how much can we stuff inour bellies. So what is being commem-orated? Is it a moment of cleansing or

feasting?Well, as for the Philippine customs

and traditions, religious beliefs arehighly regarded. The week begins onPalm Sunday, and the peak of the oc-casion are Maundy Thursday, GoodFriday, Black Saturday, and EasterSunday. Throughout the week, it isnot recommended to eat meat, so nopork, chicken, or beef as suggested.Harvests from the ocean’s bounty, andseasonal fresh vegetables are favoredat this time of the year.

Growing up from the central plainsof the country where rice is cultivatedas the number one crop in the regionwhere my family lived in Gerona, Tar-lac, I remember vividly how my moth-er Soledad and my aunt Doloreswould plan for the festive occasionwith lots of food, but my attentionwould particularly be drawn to a gluti-nous rice cake known as the “Suman

Bulag.” I wasn’t quite sure how it gotits name, but I know the word Bulagmeans “Blind”. Until recently, whileconversing with my Mom, brother andmy sister, I learned that it was namedSuman Bulag because of the fact thatit is so easy to make, that anyone cando it blindfolded.

This delectable rice cake wrappedin banana leaf is very enjoyable to eat,as it is paired with two Suman in one.They are bound by a string together,so it’s like buying two for the price ofone. Eating it can be a mess, but itdoesn’t matter. Dipping every bitewith sugar and freshly grated coconutis part of the fun. From time to time,my Mom would still make it on specialoccasion, and we plan on making itthis Easter with my kids. It seems verysimple to make, so here is a recipe Iam sharing just in case some of youare willing to give it a try and have itas part of your spread this Easter Sea-son.

Aloha & Mabuhay! Chef Joaquin ‘Jake' BelmonteJr. is an alumni and a Culinary Lec-turer at the university of Hawai‘i MauiCollege, Culinary Arts Program. ChefJake is also a Maui HS graduate andhe has worked extensively in the Food& Beverage operation at Fairmont KeaLani Resort in Wailea. He currently isthe Vice President of the Maui Filipino

Chamber of Commerce; Facilitator ofHawai‘i national Great Teachers Semi-nar; Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 68;and an active member of the AmericanCulinary Federation. Chef Jake was rec-ognized by the Hawai‘i HospitalityMagazine as one of the 2008 Top 10Rising Chefs of Hawai‘i under 40 andwas the 2009 Chef Representative ofthe Hawai‘i Visitor and Convention Bu-reau's West Coast Marketing Campaign.Happily married with two children, Mr.Belmonte is also a Small Business Own-er and Operator of Maui LifestyleHealthy Choice, a premier healthyvending company. you may follow hisblog at mauilifestylefitnessmeals.com/blog or email him at lifestylechef-maui@gmail.com, and connect profes-sionally at www.linkedin.com/in/jake-belmonte-0a277a39.

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 13

Easter Season... To Feast or To Fast?

W

Liza’s Family; Estrella, in the Philippines. PHOTO COURTESY: LIZA PIERCE

temporarily cancelled.

• The radio shows aired the “SevenLast Words” on Fridays.

• I also remember watching “pas-sion” plays. That’s where and howI learned about the story of Jesus’death and resurrection. I remem-ber attending services where sen-ior ladies sang Bible verses andprayers—they call that “pabasa.”

• One religious tradition or ritualI wasn’t particularly fond of wasthe flagellation or whipping ofoneself. I didn’t like seeing theblood. I also didn’t like themock crucifixion on the cross.

• On Sunday there was a “Resur-rection” celebration—there wasa procession we called “Salubong,”where the statue of Jesus andMother Mary meet each other asa symbol that Jesus Christ rosefrom the dead.

• How about Easter bunnies andEaster egg hunts? No, I had notheard of them until I came here toMaui in 1994. I am not kidding, Ido not have any childhood mem-ories of Easter bunnies and Easteregg hunting. And I do not think Iwas deprived. In fact, I think I ambetter off not having celebratedEaster with an Easter bunny asthe central theme. Back then, it

was all about family and faith inGod.

How about you? What are yourmemories of “Holy Week” or “EasterSunday?” And how do you celebrateit now?

Feel free to share it with me atinfo@filamvoicemaui.com.

Liza Pierce of A Maui Blog is anInteractive Media Strategist inHawai‘i. She started blogging in2006 and she loves talking story on-line and spreading aloha around theworld. She’s been living on Mauisince 1994 and considers Maui herhome. A wife, a mother, a friend…andso much more. She loves Jesus; MauiSunsets Catcher; Crazy About Rain-bows; end Alzheimer’s Advocate. Herlife is full and exciting here on the is-land of Maui.

Liza is currently the InteractiveMedia Strategist with Wailea RealtyCorp.

Ingredients2.5 lb glutinous rice

3 tbsp vanilla

Banana leaf, 8×8 inch squares

Twine for tying

Granulated Sugar for dipping

Grated coconut meat for dipping

Procedure1. Soak glutinous rice with 1 gal water mixed with vanilla for an hour.

2. Drain water.

3. Scoop 3 tbsp of rice and put on the banana leaf.

4. Roll the banana leaf and fold both sides.

5. Take two rolls and tie together leaving enough room for the rice to expand.

6. Put the the rolls into a big pot. Pour water enough to cover the rollsand bring to a boil.

7. Add water whenever required making sure that water level is higherthan the rolls.

8. After one hour, open one roll and check if rice is cooked. Bring back to the pot if needed. Remove from pot if done.

9. Let it cool, then serve with white sugar and grated coconut.

Suman Bulag Recipe

Suman Bulag, boundin string then boiled.

Freshly Grated Coconut

Pure Sugar Granules for Dipping

14 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

eligion and politics—usuallytopics to avoid at family holi-day gatherings. But faith and

religious values and upbringing cer-tainly remain important to many peo-ple, including members of the Hawai‘istate legislature. A national report re-cently surveyed the professed religionsof the U.S. Congress. Hawai‘i’s fourmember delegation sported two Bud-dhists (US Senator Mazie Hirono andCongresswoman Colleen Hanabusa), aJew (US Senator Brian Schatz) and aHindu (Congresswoman Tulsi Gab-bard).

I asked my colleagues in the legis-lature whether they attend churchservices regularly and what role, ifany, their religious faith plays in car-rying out their legislative duties.

Representative Tom Brower(Waikïkï) grew up Roman Catholicand attended Catholic grammar schooland high school. Romy Cachola, aKalihi Representative, is also RomanCatholic and regularly attends SundayMass and “Holidays of Obligation.”

Representative Justin Woodson(Kahului) is a non-denominationalChristian who attends church regular-ly, and who has hosted church servic-es at his home and other locations.

Senator Karl Rhoads (Nu‘uanu-Downtown-Kalihi) remains a memberin good standing of Sligo Seventh-dayAdventist Church in the area where heused to live. He did not switch to a lo-cal church when he moved to Hawai‘iin part because Sligo was one of thefew Adventist churches that ordainswomen. Having spent some time liv-ing in England, he occasionally at-tends services at St. Andrew’s Cathe-dral, an Episcopal Church.

New Hanalei representative NadineNakamura claims two religions—Ten-rikyo (from birth) and Christianity(Episcopal). She regularly attends AllSaints Episcopal Church on Kaua‘i.“My dual religions (East and West)both instill the awareness of treatingeveryone as brothers and sisters, to bemindful of the needs of others, espe-cially the least fortunate, and to usethe gifts we are given to make a dif-ference.”

My own family tradition is Agli-payan (Philippine Independent

Catholic Church) and my parents hadme baptized into the EpiscopalChurch. However, they enrolled me atDoris Todd Memorial Christian DaySchool in Paia, and I grew up attend-ing the Baptist Church affiliated withmy school. Throughout college andlaw school on the mainland, I attend-ed services at either American BaptistChurches or non-denominational con-gregations.

Returning home, I was a regular atFirst Baptist in Honolulu, joined andserved at Four Square churches in

Kapolei and Calvary Chapel inWailuku before returning to my familyroots in the Episcopal Church.

The place of our personal religiousbeliefs in our public service reflectshow we view faith and our role aselected officials.

While Brower has attended manychurch services in his life, he says hisrelationship with God has evolved. “Istill believe in the God of the Bible,”Brower asserts, “But I’ve become lesstraditional in my practice.” He consid-ers himself spiritual—turning in-ward—being introspective, reflectingon his thoughts and actions, alwaysseeking advice, wisdom and luck fromwhat he describes as a Higher Power.“I am always in constant conversationwith myself and God,” he says.

Brower notes, “As legislators, wehave to consider the social impacts ofour decisions on a wide variety of peo-ple, so I tend to be more objective andpractical. I’m not necessarily here torepresent my personal or religiousfeelings; I represent my constituentswho elected me. For controversial is-sues, I try to balance my personal feel-ings with theirs.”

Woodson, on the other hand, ob-

serves there are some overlapping andcommon themes with various religionsthat all religious people perceive asgood. “These perceptions of good,where there is consensus, stretchesacross all types of people, believersand non-believers alike.” Consequent-ly, he believes, “It can be appropriatefor a legislator’s faith, along with oth-er factors to impact decisions facingthe legislature.” Cachola simply notes,whether his own faith plays a part inlegislative decision making, dependson the issue, and he leaves it at that.

Rhoads, who has chaired the HouseJudiciary committee on many contro-versial bills that some religious resi-dents considered moral issues, is oneof the legislature’s thoughtful Progres-sives on social and worker issues. “Idon’t look for an Adventist answerevery time I make a decision,” he ob-serves, “But there’s no question everydecision I make is affected by havinggrown up in the church.” Rhoads con-tinues to “buy into much of what Ilearned in 14 years in Adventistschools—being honest, trying to treatpeople as well as you treat yourself,being ‘faithful in the little things.’”

Nakamura agrees: “I believe my re-ligion guides me in many ways in howI conduct myself and treat others—with humility and respect.”

I tend to side with Rhoads andNakamura. Micah 6 remains one ofthe Biblical passages learned in mychildhood that continues to speak tome:

He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of youBut to do justice, to love kindness,And to walk humbly with your God?

Another is the Greatest Command-ment as expressed by Jesus:

What commandment is the first of all?Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Is-rael; The Lord our God, the Lord isone: and thou shalt love the Lord thyGod with all thy heart, and with all thysoul, and with all thy mind, and withall thy strength. The second is this,Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.There is none other commandmentgreater than these.

Those ideas remain at the heart ofmy own faith and my general ap-proach to issues that come before meat the legislature.

During the Special Session to con-sider Same Sex Marriage in 2013, theHouse of Representatives voted 30-19in favor while the Senate voted 19-4in support. Undoubtedly, some of thevotes were cast because of personalreligious convictions or those ex-pressed by their constituents. This ses-sion, one possible challenge for legis-lators will be whether to join otherstates in allowing medical aid in dy-ing-- another issue with strong reli-gious and moral concerns expressedagainst adoption of the proposal.

Brower would caution against plac-ing so much emphasis on religion: “It’snot wise as it tends to be rigid (somepeople interpret the Bible very literal-ly) and potentially divisive.” Philo-sophically, Brower expresses someskepticism whether traditional religioncan achieve the goal of making theworld better, “not because God creat-ed an imperfect system, [but] becauseof man’s imperfect interpretation orhis own bias of God’s will.”

So while Legislators bring differingindividual experiences and back-ground to elected office, all take theirduty to consider every issue seriously.How an individual legislator appliespersonal values and faith on issues de-pends on many factors. But a commontheme is the value of trying to im-prove the quality of life and opportu-nities for our neighbors. And that’sone of the rewards of both public serv-ice and an abiding faith. As Rep.Nakamura puts it, “[My faith] guidesme in appreciating my many blessingsin life—family, friends and communi-ty, and my good health.”

Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaranserves the Central Maui communities inthe Hawai‘i State Senate, where hechairs the Judiciary and Labor Commit-tee. Sen. Keith-Agaran graduated fromMaui High School and lives in Kahului.He practices commercial, civil and ad-ministrative law with Takitani Agaran& Jorgensen, LLLP in Wailuku.

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Left to right: Brower, Woodson, and Rhoads with his wife.

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Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 15

ne of Maui’s well-known RomanCatholic Deacons

is Deacon Patrick RonaldConstantino. He was bornon May 6, 1943 inPu‘unënë, Maui, Hawai‘i.His parents were Franciscoand Felisa Cabacungan Con-stantino who were part ofthe Sakada influx fromBacarra, Ilocos Norte. Dea-con Pat graduated with theBaldwin High School Class of ’61. Hereceived his degree in Accountingfrom Maui Technical School which be-came known as Maui Community Col-lege and is currently called Universityof Hawai‘i Maui College. He also re-ceived a Management degree fromCUNA Mutual School at UCLA as wellas a Business Administration Degreefrom American University.

After graduation, Deacon Pat heldseveral employment. He was once apin boy at the Maui Bowling Center, adish washer at Maui Palms Hotel andMaui Beach Hotel, grocery boy at theA&B Super Market, Accountant at Mu-sic Sales, Inc., Account Clerk at MDGSupply, Inc., Assistant Sergeant ofArms at the State House of Represen-tatives, and Manager and AssistantTreasurer at the Kula Community Fed-eral Credit Union. At the County ofMaui, he was the Executive Assistantto Maui’s first Mayor, the late Elmer F.Cravalho, and became the first Fil-ipino appointed as County Treasurer,and Risk Manager and Grant Adminis-trator. He was also a Board memberof Maui Factors, Inc. and the Maui

Hog Producers.Deacon Pat was a very active mem-

ber of the following organizations: St.Anthony Filipino Catholic Club, MauiDemocratic Party, and Maui YoungDemocrats. He was the first Filipino toattend the Democratic Party Conven-tion in Chicago, Illinois. He was theChairman of the Maui ImmigrationServices Committee. He was the Pres-ident of COPA (Council of Political As-sociates), and President of the Fil-AmCivic Club. He was a member of theBoard of Directors of both the MauiFilipino Community Council and theUnited Filipino Council of Hawai‘i. Hewas also a board member of the MauiCatholic Charities and the Kula Com-munity Federal Credit Union. He wasthe Spiritual Director of both the MauiCouncil of Filipino Catholic Clubs andthe Diocesan Congress of FilipinoCatholic Clubs.

Besides being so active in the com-munity, Deacon Pat is also very activeand involved in the religious commu-nity here on Maui. He is involved inthe Diaconate Advisory Committee,the Deacon Council, Marriage En-counter (which helps married couples

to have a lovingand more solidmarried life), En-gaged Encounter(which helps en-gaged couples toprepare for com-mitted marriedlife), Youth En-counter, andCHOICE, whichwas the YoungAdult Program for18 to 38 years old,single and marriedyoung adults. Theyhad weekend livein retreats to focuson their self andothers and God,which were heldat the Mauna‘oluCollege Campusand Maui Land

and Pine dormitory in Makawao.Because of his involvement

with Marriage Encounter, En-gaged Encounter, Youth En-counter, etc., Deacon felt God'scalling for him to become a Dea-con. With the encouragementand support of Fr. Thomas Choo,Pastor of St. Joseph Church atthat time, Deacon Patrick wasaccepted into the Diaconate Pro-gram of the Catholic Church.

Deacon Patrick was ordainedas Deacon in the CatholicChurch on June 18, 1987 by thelate Bishop Joseph Ferrario. Hewas assigned as Deacon to thefollowing parishes: St. JosephChurch, Makawao (1987 to1995); Holy Rosary, Pä‘ia, St. Ri-ta, Ha‘ikü, and St. Gabrielchurches (1995–2009), (as Ad-ministrator for the three parish-es), Holy Rosary Church, Pä‘ia(2009–2016), and St. JosephChurch, Makawao (2016 to the

present).Deacon Pat is married to Cora Bio

Constantino. They have four children:Cary Constantino, a retired MauiCounty Board of Water Supply work-ing foreman, Darlene Cachola, an Ex-ecutive Secretary in the Office of Cler-gy, Diocese of Honolulu, PamelaCravalho, a Supervisor at the Divisionof Taxation, State of Hawai‘i, and

Jamie Kaiali‘ili‘i, a Pizza Hut Bakerand Secretary of Holy Rosary Church.Deacon Pat has a sister, Norma Con-stantino Visitacion.

With all of the successes and ac-complishments that Deacon Pat re-ceived, he is a friendly down to earthand humble servant of God. He saidthat his reflection in life is: “To growold with my wife Cora and enjoy ourfamily, grand and great grandchildrenand the beautiful friends we havemade through the years!”

Lucy Perosis a retiredschool teacher,having taughtfor 32 years, 11years at St. An-thony GradeSchool and 21years at Waihe‘ee l e m e n t a r ySchool. Both of her parents, elpidio andAlejandra Cabalo of Häli‘imaile,worked for Maui Land and Pine Com-pany. Her dad was a 1946 Sakada.Lucy is currently a Realtor Associate atPeros Realty, the business her late hus-band Sylvester Peros, Jr. started 30years ago, where her daughter LiannePeros-Busch is now the Broker. Lucy de-votes a significant amount of time toactivities at Christ The King CatholicChurch as well as babysitting hergrandchildren.

Deacon Patrick Constantino

Deacon Patrick Constantino and Cora Constantino

Left to Right: Cary Constantino, Jamie Kaialiilii, PamelaCravalho, Cora Constantino, Darlene Cachola, Deacon PatrickConstantino

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16 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

A Maui Sakada Love StoryContest Winner

Amidst our flood of entries, one has emerged victorious...Congratulations Christine Sabado!

Sabado Family: A TributeA Sakada Love Story of Severina “Paning” and Felix “Feliz” Sabado.

By Christine Sabado

n the misty Nu‘uanu Valley, asI held her frail hand she lookedup and spoke in a

whisper: “Hidden in the tall grassesa two headed snake spoke and toldme that I would live on many is-lands, and have many children.” Ismiled and sat to hear her story asthe clouds gathered in the valley.She would pass soon, but not tillshe had told me her stories.

I am her daughter in law, mar-ried to her youngest son. I amblond and come from a family ofdoctors. This was all new to me.

It was at this time in the earlynineteen hundreds that as a youngbeautiful Filipina walked near hervillage of Dolores Abbra. The snakerose and saw her eye to eye andspoke to her and predicted her life.That spurred the young Severina,known to all who loved her as“Paning” to leave her homeland atthe tender age of fourteen.” It musthave been a painful choice tochoose a life in a distant land, butwhen a snake speaks, and at that, atwo headed snake; who could re-fuse?

When the young Severina lefther village at such a tender age shewas strong and determined and hada plan in place. The recruiters hadbeen set out to the NorthernProvinces to find sturdy hard work-ers. The main requirement was thatthey could handle the long arduoushours in the Hawaiian sun. Oncesigned up the rules were set. On thevoyage to Hawai‘i in the early1920s, only married women wereallowed to travel from the Philip-pines. Her resolve to sail to Hawai‘iwas so strong that she lied abouther age and already being married.She traveled with an uncle whoposed as her husband to accomplishher goal and the strange prediction.

After all, hadn’t the two-headedsnake told her this was to be her fu-ture? Perhaps her family was morewilling to release her, knowing thatonce she was in the new land, shewould have a family member shecould rely on.

Upon her arrival in Hilo Hawai‘i,the young Paning was told by her“Kabalayan” (town mates)  of  aman who would soon be returnedto the Philippines.The plantation rules were strict; anyPanggolo; (troublemakers) wererouted out soon afterarrival. The man shewas told about wasconstantly in troublebecause of his drink-ing and fighting. Hisskill was the  Fil-ipino  stick fightingknown as “escrima,”of which he washighly skill-ed. Withtwo sticks, one ineach hand he wasrenowned. His fight-ing, combined withdrinking proved tobe his return ticketto the rice fields ofIlocos Sur.

But no one wanted to imposesuch a harsh punishment after thatlong voyage. Things happen in atight community, and somehow Pa-pa’s people from the mountain vil-lage, found fellow Filipino’s fromthe same voyage that were fromyoung Paning’s village and a planwas hatched and set in motion.They united with a cause andpleaded with the young Paning;“You can help! Just one time; meetand marry this man, then ‘pau’ youcan go your way, and he can stayhere.” She would be allowed to an-nul or divorce him after that, or so

they said. Somehow, as fate woulddetermine a deal was struck.

So in the  quite  town of Hilo,Paning met Felix or ‘Feliz,’ (as theypronounced his name) justonce,  per  the  arrangement  at thesmall Hawaiian church alter.  Pa-pa was always meticulous in his ap-pearance, with a beige or white fe-dora hat on his head tilted to theright at a slight angle. He dressedwell and wore a colorful alohashirt; always buttoned to the topbutton, with the  sleeveless  white

‘Camiseta,’ a knit un-der shirt.

As the divinewould deem the twowere married andshe  chose  to staywith him for life;twelve children later,how could she not?He was a charmerwith a hearty laugh,not unlike their sons.She was one ofthose women with asilent power and arare beauty thatcould always turnheads as she passed.Full of energy, Papa

loved to walk, and was always onthe move to somewhere. Their firstchildren were girls, Magdalena andLoretta; the third child was the boy,they named Santi. Papa held greataffection for his village, “Santi,” wasa shortened version for “Santiago.”In the early days the ‘camps’ hadspecial names for the settlements;Manila camp, Spanish camp, andthen Maunaloa Camp on Molokai.

Plantation life for this growingfamily was a flow from camp tocamp as they traveled from islandto island, as predicted. Whereverthey went there was always family

or cabalayan, town-mates, to helpthem settle in. They never stayedvery long and were like roving gyp-sies. Soon, after a raucous night, amove to the next camp would be-come necessary. The marriage andchildren in Hilo did not resolve Pa-pa’s wild ways, and in time hisdrinking would take the family tothe next camp or island.

Then Mama had a dream andsaw Papa all in white. From the hatto shoes, he was all white, andseemed to glow. You see she hadfound the “Way of Salvation”Church and she followed her in-stinct. You see she was very sensi-tive to her dreams, and even withmoney so tight she bought him allthese clothes, and laid them careful-ly out on the coistsone and said:“Now these are all yours, if you at-tend church just once with me!“Aiya” with large eyes he agreed, af-ter all he loved to look good! Thatwas it! He was saved and later be-came a devoted member, who al-ways dressed in white, and alwayscarried his Bible, who loved to singin harmony with her.

The ‘Budidik,’ Philip, theyoungest is my husband, the artist,who came from this accidentalunion in Hilo that was foreverbound in devotion and love. Theirlove never wavered!

“His skillwas the Filipino stick fightingknown as‘Escrima,’of which hewas high-ly skilled.”

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Christine (left) and Philip Sabado.Please call us at 242-8100 to claimyour Grand Prize

Vol 1 • No 2 | March–April, 2017 | Fil-Am Voice | 17

Around Our Community

Dance International Foundation hosted an Escrima exhibition and workshop.PHOTO COURTESY: MADELYNE PASCUA.

Members of theKnights of Colum-bus (from left Ben-jamin Acob, JimmyPaet, Henry Parilla,Rudy Balinbin,William Piano, andJoe Gage) barbe-cued the steak atthe recent Christthe King bazaar.PHOTO: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

After the Misa de Gallo at St. Theresa in Kïhei, Bishop LarrySilva poses with the St. Theresa Filipino Catholic Club Choirunder the direction of Choir Directors Joy Fontanilla and Mar-sha Pascua, Pianist-Anne Durham.PHOTO COURTESY: MELINDA PIANO

Maui celebratedwith artist Philip

Sabado during theunveiling of “Maka

Hiapo,” his artpieces that werecommissioned by

Kaiser Permanentethat are now being

displayed at theNeo-natal section of

Kaiser Hospital inMoanalua, O‘ahu.

PHOTO COURTESY: CHRISTINE SABADO.

Mayor Alan Arakawa (center) and flanked by theMiss Hawai‘i Filipina and the Miss Maui Filipina in-stalled the officers and directors of the Maui FilipinoCommunity Council, including President Elmer Tolentino (far right) at the Rizal Day Program.PHOTO COURTESY: RM PRODUCTIONS

The Sto. Niño Club of Maui recently hosted the annualSanto Niño Festival. PHOTO COURTESY: SHARON ZALSOS.

Miss Hawai‘i Filipina 2016 Amelia Laborte assists with the ribbon cutting during cere-monies of the Turnover of the Clean Water Project, a joint project of the Rotary Clubof Lahaina together with Rotary Clubs in the Philippines.PHOTO COURTESY: AMELIA LABORTE

During the Opening Day festivities at the Hawai‘i State Legislature, members of theILWU paid courtesy visits to various legislators, including Central Maui State SenatorGilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran. PHOTO COURTESY: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

If you have a photo-graph of a communityevent, please email toinfo@filamvoicemaui

.com. Please include ashort description, your

name and contact information.

March5 ORIENTATION FOR INTERESTEDCANDIDATES FOR 2017 MISS MAUIFILIPINA 12 Noon. Contact MichelleSantos at (805) 264-0871 or DollyPerreira at (808) 283-1605 or emailmfccinfo@gmail.com.

11 DEADLINE TO ENTER AS A CON-TESTANT (representing the differentcultures of Hawai‘i) for the SecondAnnual Mrs. Ambassador of CulturePageant sponsored by Dance Interna-tional Foundation. Contact MadelynePascua at 268-7352.

31 DEADLINE FOR ENTRY FOR MAUIFILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCEFOUNDATION ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPGOLF TOURNAMENT [on April 22 atKahili Golf Course]. www.mauifil-ipinochamber.com Contact Bill Ruidasat 873-8605 or Alfredo Evangelista at242-8100.

31 DEADLINE FOR MAUI FILIPINOCHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDA-TION SCHOLARSHIP www.mauifilipinochamber.com Contact Richard Mina-toya at 385-0088.

April1 ESCRIMA WORKSHOP and ColoredBelts Testing by the Supreme GrandMaster of Doce Pares, Inc. (Cebu,Philippines). 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Christ the King Church Hall. Spon-sored by Dance International Founda-tion. Contact Madelyne Pascua at 268-7352.

22 MAUI FILIPINO CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE FOUNDATION ANNUALSCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENTKahili Golf Course. Shot gun start at 7 a.m. Contact Bill Ruidas at 344-5251 or Alfredo Evangelista at 242-8100.

24 DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONSFOR GINTONG PAMANA LEADERSHIPAWARDS sponsored by Maui FilipinoChamber of Commerce. Download ap-plicationswww.mauifilipinochamber.com or con-tact Jeana Gamboa at 419-4090.

May1 DEADLINE FOR BINHI AT ANISCHOLARSHIP www.binhiatani.org/im-ages/PDF/BAA_Scholarship_Eligibili-ty_and_Application_2016.pdf. ContactFrederick Dagdag at 280-3076.

6 SECOND ANNUAL MRS. AMBASSA-DOR OF CULTURE PAGEANT sponsoredby Dance International Foundation.5:30 p.m. Dinner followed by Pageantat Binhi at Ani. Contact Madelyne Pascua at 268-7352 for information on how to become a contestant; representing the different cultures of Hawai‘i.

13 MISS MAUI FILIPINA SCHOLAR-SHIP PAGEANT sponsored by Maui Filipino Community Council. 7 p.m. at Binhi at Ani. Contact Marilyn Ouraat 280-2057.

26–27 BARRIO FIESTA sponsored byBinhi at Ani. Friday, from 5–10 p.m.at Binhi at Ani; Saturday, from 9 a.m.to 10 p.m. at Binhi at Ani. ContactRowena Dagdag-Andaya at 250-8194.If you are interested in becoming acandidate for the Miss Barrio Fiesta orthe Little Miss Barrio Fiesta, contactNora Takushi at 276-8861 orntakushi01@yahoo.com.

June14 GINTONG PAMANA LEADERSHIPAND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS BAN-QUET sponsored by Maui FilipinoChamber of Commerce. 5:30 p.m. atMaui Beach Hotel. Contact JeanaGamboa at 419-4090.or2jeana808@gmail.com.

October

2 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.

14 MISS TEEN MAUI FILIPINA spon-sored by Binhi at Ani. 6 p.m. at Binhiat Ani. Contact Michelle Santos at264-0871.

21 MAUI FIL-AM HERITAGE FESTI-VAL sponsored by Maui Filipino Cham-ber of Commerce Foundation. ContactJake Belmonte at 283-6358.

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

Please submit your community event by the seventh day of each month viaemail to calendar@filamvoicemaui.com.

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How to Submit a Calendar Event$25 for up to 60 words for Filipino-Americanbased for-profit events. Email calendar@filamvoicemaui.com 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 633-7084.

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18 | Fil-Am Voice | March–April, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 2

Thursday Friday SaturdaySunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

used by me and all my living rela-tives.

Like all indigenous peoples, Fil-ipinos have knowledge about the nat-ural world and environment that sur-round them and live with. Ourkalooban, I believe, binds us, even asone, with everything and everyonewith live with. My native Hawaiianside tells me that all of nature is amanifestation of the divine, of God.The understanding of my Filipinoside, imbues me with a sense that di-vine power, God, resides with every-thing and everyone around me. I sug-gest that our kalooban, allows, evencompels us to see everything andeveryone as being a part of the sa-credness of God. As such, I know thatas we relate to this sacredness, wecan relate to the fact that we shouldcelebrate it, especially with each oth-er. Filipinos like to celebrate and Idon’t know of any Filipino partiesthat are not at least a little bit festive.

Kababayan, I know that our spirit,as Filipinos, means that we live withand relate to each other as if God iswatching and living with us too. We

live with and relate to each other tofind meaning in what we see, in howwe live and work, in how we learn,in how we see the divine and God injust about everything. So, Fr. Tinogave me a rather philosophical wayof understanding kalooban. He saidthat I should find spirit, the Filipinospirit, “...in every image, in everysymbol, in every story, metaphor, al-legory, in every ritual.” He went on tosay, and I have never forgotten this,that every Filipino is “the combina-tion of all of these expressions, asGod is with and in us”. To this I add,as we express our kalooban and prac-tice our religion, and weave our ownMaui and interwoven mat of Filipinospirit, “Bahala na!” Kababayan, dur-ing this holy season of the Churchand especially at the Great Festival ofEaster, be at peace and find it in eachother and in everything.

John A. Hau‘oli Tomoso is a SocialWorker and episcopal Priest. He is aPriest Associate at Good Shepherdepiscopal Church in Wailuku and anon-call Chaplain at Maui MemorialMedical Center. Tomoso gr