15 September 2014 - Philippine Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin hosted an “acquaintance lunch” on September 8 for the following leaders of Filipino American organizations and associations of Hawaii at the Philippine Consulate General: Ms. Maria Etrata, President-elect of the United Filipino Community Council (UFCH); Rev. Alex Vergara, President of the Oahu Filipino Community Council (OFCC); Ms. May Mizuno, President of the Congress of Visayan Organizations (COVO); Mr. Hernando Tan, Executive Director of COVO; Mr. Paul Alimbuyao, President of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH); and Ms. Edna Alikpala, Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii (PCCH).

The Consul General hosted this gathering of key leaders of the biggest Filipino umbrella  organizations in the state to personally meet them and share her projects in the coming years and her advocacies as Consul General of the Philippines in Hawaii, where Filipinos comprise the largest ethnic group. She also took the opportunity to enlist the leaders’ assistance and support in the activities and programs of the Consulate.

In response, the community leaders expressed their utmost appreciation to the Consul General for reaching out to the Filipinos in Hawaii through the holding of the acquaintance lunch with them and for her advocacy of a more united, inclusive Filipino community in Hawaii. The leaders assured the Consulate General that they would be readily available to lend help and support for the Consulate General and its activities and programs in pursuit of mutually-shared goals. END