Hawaii Filipinos

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza finally found reason to show off his signature Hawaiian polo shirt when he personally welcomed Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii to his city. Manila is one of the stop-over of Gov. Lingle during her eight-day goodwill visit here.

Wearing Hawaiian polo shirts has been the dress code of Mayor Atienza. He aptly fits in with the delegation of Gov. Lingle who came here on the third day of New Year 2006 which is being observed as the Hawaii Filipino Centennial Year. The year-long observance is celebrated simultaneously here in the Philippines and in Hawaii by virtue of official fiats issued by both governments.

The preparations for the centennial of the arrival of the first Filipinos in Hawaii was pioneered by former Hawaii Gov. Benjamin Cayetano, the first Filipino-American to get elected to the highest post on the islands. On June 7, 2002, the 21st Legislature of the State of Hawaii passed Act 159 "Creating the Filipino Centennial Commission" to plan and organize the Centennial.

In the Philippines, President Arroyo signed last year Proclamation No. 954 to celebrate this occasion that will commemorate the arrival of the first Filipino migrant workers in Hawaii in 1906. She subsequently issued Executive Order 457 designating the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, headed by chairman Dante Ang, as the lead agency in the preparations for the Centennial observance of this event.

Gov. Lingle, the first woman governor of Hawaii since it attained statehood in 1959, paid a courtesy call yesterday on President Arroyo at Malacañang Palace. She was accompanied by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson who led the Philippine government officials in welcoming Gov. Lingle and her delegation at the airport.

The lady governor of Hawaii actually flew in to Manila last Tuesday night with her delegation of 178 people, composed of 12 administration officials from the islands composing the state, including Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste, nine legislators, 18 Hawaii entertainers led by popular "American Idol" finalist Jasmine Trias, among them.

When the lady governor first arrived in the country, she and her official delegation were welcomed with our traditional greeting of "Mabuhay," the Filipino version of the Hawaiian greeting "Aloha," and our very own lei of sweet-smelling sampaguita at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

At the press conference at the airport, Gov. Lingle noted that "Filipinos" make up almost 25 percent of the total population of Hawaii, most of whom are "very successful" in various fields or professions. She says many of them are now considering trips this year to be able to come to the Philippines during this Centennial.

"I think anyone who has been a governor of Hawaii will understand the important role that the Filipinos have played in our state," Gov. Lingle pointed out. Gov. Singson cheerfully interjected: "They are not only Filipinos. They are Ilocanos."

Gov. Singson later took Gov. Lingle to visit the Ilocos region where most of Filipino migrants to Hawaii originated. He told her that the first batch of Pinoy migrants to Hawaii were composed of 15 Ilocanos who toiled as pineapple pickers. Impressed by the industry of Ilocanos, Chavit bragged, the Hawaiian authorities recruited 6,000 more Pinoys and took them to Hawaii.

Our country’s affinity to Hawaii was best exemplified when the late dictator, former President Ferdinand Marcos and his family fled Manila at the end of the EDSA People Power Revolution in February 1986. The late President and his family were flown by the US Air Force to Hawaii.

Marcos, who himself was an Ilocano, was quoted telling the Americans in his lucid moments: "Take us to Paoay," where his family also owns a huge estate in this town in Ilocos Norte. But the Americans, as the joke went around, misunderstood Marcos and flew him instead to Hawaii.

Not to be outdone by the Ilocano hospitality extended by Gov. Singson to the country’s Hawaiian guests, Mayor Atienza hosted yesterday his own traditional Filipino welcome starting with the traditional wreath laying at the monument of Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Luneta. He also accompanied Gov. Lingle who was conferred an honorary degree by the Manila city government-run Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Since both occasions were formal, Mayor Atienza had to hang up his Hawaiian polo and wore instead his barong Tagalog. The flamboyant Mayor of Manila got to finally show off his Hawaiian polo shirt when he hosted the governor at dinner in one of the seafood restaurants that has sprouted in his now famous Baywalk in Roxas Boulevard. He capped the night for his Hawaiian guests with a cultural program of both Filipino folk songs and dances and a Polynesian/Tahitian show at Rajah Sulayman Plaza in front of the historic Malate Church.

Naturally, it was Mayor Atienza’s way to also show off to his Hawaiian guests his pet project Baywalk as his own mini version of the beachfronts for locals and tourists. But how I wish we would not pay the price of the success of this Baywalk project. Traffic jams have become a nightly horror for motorists on Roxas Boulevard. The entire stretch of Baywalk has been turned into a commercial site that we can no longer see the bay.

Mayor Atienza strongly took exception to some comments I made last week about the political will shown by Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani "BF" Fernando in implementing MMDA projects no matter how unpopular it might make the latter.

Mayor Atienza particularly fumes over what he views as the defiance of BF in refusing to enforce the latest Supreme Court final ruling that MMDA is not empowered to confiscate drivers' licenses. Atienza along with other Metro Manila Mayors like Jejomar Binay of Makati has openly opposed BF on this and many other issues. I think I can speak for the many who feel the same way that we could not care less whatever their political differences are, but we would rather see them do their jobs in the best way to serve public interests.

In fairness, Baywalk inspired other Metro Manila Mayors to also lit up and beautify tourists areas in their respective jurisdictions. Mayor Atienza has made his legacy reviving Manila as he had promised. For excellent local government officials like Mayor Atienza, the existing term limit prevents them to continue on. But like any other politician, Mayor Atienza has been grooming his son, ex-councilor Kim Atienza this early for the May 2007 elections, that is, if there will be one held.

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