Filipino Community Center honors service leaders in 21st annual Bayanihan Gala

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - October is Filipino American History Month, and next weekend, the Filipino Community Center will honor service leaders who embody the “bayanihan” or community spirit, during a gala at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom on Saturday, Oct. 14, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Vanessa Kop, Programs Chair of FilCom Center, and gala honoree Christine Camp, President and CEO of Avalon Group, joined HNN’s Sunrise Weekends to talk about the event and the importance of serving the immigrant community.

Camp said she made it her mission to be an ally and provide support to the Filipino community and all immigrants who sacrifice everything to pursue the American dream.

“I came here when I was nine years old from Korea and I didn’t speak a word of English but when you have great expectations because people have sacrificed so much for you and that’s the same story for most of the immigrants in Hawaii… you try to do better,” Camp said.

The event will feature performances, food and a special raffle for a chance to win a free airfare ticket to Manila in the Philippines.

“We want to enhance culture and bring legacy to our youth, so we wanna bring fiestas and gather people together and promote our culture,” Kop said.

Other honorees include Abelina Shaw, the Mariano-Soquena Foundation, and FilCom CARES, all of which have displayed exceptional leadership and service toward the Filipino community.

For 21 years, FilCom has served as a hub of support and education to preserve and promote Filipino culture in Hawaii. Its annual Bayanihan Gala honors extraordinary people for their leadership and service to the community.

For tickets, visit FilCom.org.

For more from HNN’s special series on Filipino American History, click here.