28th Hawaii State Legislature opening ceremonies, festivities, and refreshing memories and reconnecting with old acquaintances

House Chamber as the opening session on Jan. 21, 2015

IT WAS January 21, 2015 Wednesday in Hawaii nei.

The morning sun rose over the Punchbowl hills, a resting place of fallen veterans who defended our national security and peaceful country. Around ten o’clock, the Hawaiian ‘tambuli’ and the gavels of the both Chambers’ presiding officer were pounded against the respective podium for the official opening of the 28^th Hawaii State Legislature. The Senate Chamber and the House, both at the first floor of the Hawaii State Capitol with some security officers, located at the corner of Beretania and Punchbowl and Richard Street just the opposite of the Washington Place, the official residence of the Hawaii Governor.

As an inventory purpose of Filipino-American ancestry, how many in our own are assuming if we can count as ours any spouse has a connection to us Filipinos, by marriage.

In the Hawaii Senate, there are six senators out of the 25 Senate members are representing our Filipino-American community. They are: Senator Donna Mercado Kim, president. A senator since 2000 is leading the Senate for her third year, 24 Democrats and one Republican.  This position was held by Filipino former Senator Bobby Bunda (with roots from San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte) who ran for Lt. Governor but lost. He is now a member of the Honolulu Authority Rapid Transit (HART), which is responsible for the planning and construction of the debated project above-the-ground rail system from the Kapolei district to Ala Moana to UH-Manoa.

Historically true, the Hawaii Senate has been the place where the first Filipino Senator was elected in the person of Benjamin Menor. The late Senator Menor was from San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. He also became the First Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, then followed by Justice Mario Ramil and Justice Simeon Acoba, both sons of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, and now both retired.

The House counterpart as a First Filipino Territorial Representative was the late Judge Peter Aduja from Vigan, Ilocos Sur as he served as representative in 1954 in August 21, 1959.

The younger Menor (Ron), a prominent lawyer also served both in the Hawaii Senate and the House of Representatives. He ran for US Congress but lost. He is now the member of the Honolulu City Council representing Waipahu, Ewa and part of Kapolei.

Senator Willie Espero, vice president, this position was held by Kim before the election of then Senate President Colleen Hanabusa to US Congress. Espero is a longtime lawmaker and community activist from neighborhood board, to House member and now a senator. Both Kim and Espero unsuccessfully ran for the US Congressional District 1; Gilbert Keith Coloma Agaran, Chairman, Judiciary and Labor Committee. Former Director of Department of Labor & Industrial Relations, and Department of Natural Land Resources. His root according to him when I met him at the UFCH Convention in Molokai 2009 is Badoc-Pinili, Ilocos Norte.

Donovan Dela Cruz, former Honolulu Council Chair before he ran for the Senate. Council Chair was held by another great Filipino lawmaker the late Honorable Rudy Pacarro. Dela Cruz’s grandparents were from Tarlac.

Brickwood Galuteria, local born with Filipino roots.

Lorraine Rodero Inouye, former big island mayor. She traces her roots from Piddig, Ilocos Norte and La Union.

In the House chamber, there are six representatives considering Vice Speaker John Mizuno 9as married to a Filipina community leader Joje May Mizuno, current president of the Congress of the Visayan Organizations [COVO]).

Henry Aquino, son of Ilocos Sur; Della Au Belatti, roots from the Visayan Island; Romy Cachola—son of Ilocos Sur; John Mizuno married to Filipina Ty T.K. Cullen; Joy San Buenaventura

Inside the House Chamber I met Mr. Danny F. Agsalog, Budget and Finance Director under Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. Danny as I intimately call him is my townmate from Sinait, Ilocos Sur, one of our outstanding Sinait Alumni; served as community relations under Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. He ran unsuccessfully against Representative Joe Souki, the House Speaker with a difference of 200 plus votes.

In the same chamber, I also met Atty.  Donnie Juan, president of the FilComCenter, young and promising lawyer and served as legal counsel for the United Filipino Council of Hawaii during the time I was one of the Board of Governors 2009-2011.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Mark Recktenwald officiated the oath-taking for all members of the House.

At the House Chamber, Speaker of the House Joseph M. Souki called on members of the House of Representatives to focus on doing the “nitty-gritty” work that will allow government to function more efficiently and for Hawaii’s families to pursue their dreams.

In house guests Speaker Souki recognized and acknowledged the following in the order of their year in office as a Governors and Commander in Chiefs in Hawaii with their spouses except one was unable to attend.

Honorable George Ariyoshi and Mrs. Jean Ariyoshi[1974-1986]; Honorable John Waihee III and Mrs. Lynne Waihee[1986-1994]; Honorable Benjamin J. Cayetano and Mrs. Vicky Cayetano [1994-2002]; Honorable Neil Abercrombie [2010-2014]. Governors Ariyoshi, Waihee and Cayetano had completed eight years service as governor as provided by the Hawaii Constitution.

Thinking about these first three former governors on my personal experience was a great experience that provided me with challenges, education and provided me opportunities to develop and grow as a better person and community leader.

In 1982, Mr. Ariyoshi appointed me as member of the State Board of Registration, Oahu, with other two members. Mr. Waihee was the Lt. Governor and the State Board of Registration is under the Office of the Lt. Governor. While in 2002, Mr. Cayetano was appointed me as one of the 15 commissioners for the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission [Act 159] 2002-2006 in the planning, preparation, implementing all programs relating to the One Hundred Years Anniversary Celebration of the “First 15 Filipinos arriving in the Honolulu Port via SS Doric on December 20, 1906. The whole year celebration was done in 2006.

At the 4^th floor of the State Capitol where most of the 51 members of the House of Representatives is housed with their respective offices, in front of the office of Transportation Chairman Rep. Henry Aquino, son of Santa, Ilocos Sur, I joined Danny Villaruz, Ilocos Surian Association of Hawaii, president; OFCC Council of Past Presidents Chairman, with him are former Rep. Ben Cabreros and OFCC Past President; OFCC Past President Jean Jeremiah and Council of past President Recorder; Edmund Aczon, Chairman of the Directors for FilComCenter and former Community Liaison officer for the former senator Daniel Inouye; Serafin Colmenares, Jr, Office of Language Access Executive Director and past commander of the Knights of Rizal Hawaii Chapter.

Very timely as we have some conversation among our group, former US Congressman Ed Case joined us and took some pictures. Ed Case ran for US Senate but lost to Senator Daniel Akaka. He also ran for Governor but lost against Mazie Hirono, and Hirono lost against Linda Lingle. Ms Mazie Hirono now serving as junior US Senator for Hawaii in US Senate in Washington DC. With her now at the Capitol Hill is Senator Brian Schatz. Both senators had served as Lt. Governor in Hawaii before the move to US Senate. Ms. Hirono served under Governor Cayetano while Mr. Schatz served under Governor Abercrombie half term.

We were one of the volunteers when Ed Case ran for governor as well as for the US Senate by having a community group forum and coffee hours in my residence in the Historic Ewa Villages, that is how we became close each other as a friend. Ed Case was awarded as our Filipino friend for the UFCH Progress Award.

Across the State Capitol at the corner of South King and Punchbowl streets, is the Honolulu Hall where  other Filipino lawmakers serving for the Honolulu Council are Councilmembers Kimberly Marcos Pine, Ron Menor, Joey Manahan and Brandon Elefante.

Varieties of foods were served in each lawmakers’ offices with their own delicacies, ethnic and international menu including Filipino like the kankanen, pancit, dudol and sushi, lumilumi.

We hopped from one office to another: Rep. Romy M. Cachola, another son of Ilocos Sur. Rep. Cachola is chairperson of the Veterans, Military, International Affairs, Culture and the Arts. Member: Judiciary, Consumer Protection, Tourism, Economic Development, Agriculture. He served as Honolulu Councilmember.

To the office of Vice Speaker John Mizuno who is very close to the Filipinos being married to a Filipina, Joje May Mizuno who is currently the president of the Congress of Visayans Organizations [COVO]. Mr., Mizuno still remember the days when he was a participant in the Adopt-a-Highway Clean Up Project that I chair under the Oahu Filipino Community Council until this time. The Adopt a Highway under the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highway Division was used to be Weeful Project in which were got involved since the early 70’s.

Other leaders like Nancy Walch, Agnes Reyes, Ramon Sumibcay, Thelma Corpuz Zales, Thannie Agarpao, and Adela Salacup, except Agarpao and Sumibcay, these ladies are members and associated with the Filipino Business Women Association and the Hawaii Filipino Women Civic Club. Agarpao was a former president of the Sarrat Assn of Hawaii and Sumibcay is the president of the San Manuel Pangasinan Assn of Hawaii.

Jun, Jean and I went to Senate President Donna Mercado, senator since 2000 is leading the Senate for her third year: 24 Democrats and one Republican. We signed into her guest book. Greeted and congratulated her and gave our best wishes. She offered something to eat and said: “Take some cancanen that my mother cooked”

House Speaker Joe Souki who is very welcoming as we approached him for greetings and congratulate him for being elected as Speaker of House with 51 members representing the whole Hawaii nei. Souki is back as House Speaker for his third year after serving as speaker from 1993-1998. The House has 44 Democrats and seven Republicans.

Rep. Ken Ito, Majority Whip, vice chairman, Veterans, Military, International Affairs, Culture and the Arts, and member in Education, Higher Education, Economic Development, Agriculture and Tourism. He was  proud in showing us his Filipino barong Tagalog as he is a member of the “Filipino Caucus in the Legislature” where former Rep. Abinsay was one of the organizers.

Rep. Calvin Say, Speaker Emeritus, member in Education, Energy and Environmental Protection, Higher Education, Ocean Marine Resources and Water and Land; Rep. Scott Saiki, Majority Leader, and member Legislative Management; Rep. Clift Tsuji, Chairman, Agriculture and member in Education, Higher Education, Economic Development, Veterans, Military, International Affairs, Tourism.

His staff include Filipinos. His friendship with former Rep Abinsay is still good as Abinsay was the chair for the Agriculture committee co-chair and ‘Mr. Frog’ was his co-chair.

Senator Lorraine Rodero Inouye, Vice Chairperson in Higher Education. Member: Ways and Means, Transportation and Hawaiian Affairs. She called me ‘Manong’ as we shook hand as I greeted her Madam Senator.

Senator Clarence Nishihara, Chairman, Transportation, Vice Chairman, Government Operations, member: Commerce and Consumer Protection, Education. Mr. Nishihara is a good friend for the Filipino Community, we both member in the Leeward Lions Club in the 80’s. He presented a Certificate of Appreciation to St. Paul’s Church, Honolulu in recognition of our church for being consistent in the cleaning Farrington Hwy, a 4-mile stretch. I was the Bishop’s Warden [President] of the church when Senator Nishihara presented the certificate with then Vice Speaker Jon Kurimatsu. Farrington Hwy is Nishihara senatorial district from the Leeward Community College Entrance to the Hale Koa Health Facility.

Vice President Willie Espero, Chairman, Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs.

Each office we have visited has their own foods on the table and help yourself, feel at home and enjoy.

Not a surprise at all when I met Mr. Randy Iwase as he still recognized me and we greeted each other. He was just appointed by Governor David Ige to the Public Utilities Commission [PUC], a three-member group.  Randy as I call him is very instrumental in making Kapolei a future ‘second city’ and the Central Oahu Regional Park in Waipio by passing bills into laws as he was a member of the Honolulu City Council. He served as the Chairman of the State Labor Relations Board, he served as senator, When he ran for City Mayor as well as for Governor, in some small ways, we helped him by way of ‘coffee hour’ in my house. Both of his campaigns was unsuccessful.

But I am glad, people like Mr. Iwase can always keep the memories though part of seasoning ourselves, losing hairs or having additional legs, things in our mind are still alive and vivid.

Same is true with former Senator Norman Sakamoto, who greeted me and shook hands with me. Mr. Sakamoto used to be with us in the feeding the homeless in the past at the Institute for Human Services, as what former Rep. Jun Abinsay do until now.

At the end of the day, outside, at the ground floor of the Capitol, groups of our Hawaiian-Polynesian brothers and sisters have poi making demonstration from taro crops while others have a quiet and peaceful rally by the Free Hawaii group and other who want Hawaii most particularly the type of environment and our organic foods natural as the heaven and nature bring not some type of artificial or free of chemical elements: with their big signs “NO GMO, No Genetical Modified Organism by the ALOHA AINA [Respect the Earth]”.

“Let the members of the both houses take care of these issues. This is one of the hardest issues to deal with” said Jun Abinsay as we were about to leave the building. “I wish them luck”. Abinsay was the former Chairperson of the House Committee on Agriculture when he retired from office. He also served as Majority Floor Leader, Majority Whip, member in Health, Tourism, others. He was the author of the HB 1942 relating to the creation of the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission into law aka Act 159 giving Hawaii Governor Benjamin Cayetano to appoint 15 commissioners of Filipino ancestry to become members: Elias Beniga, Chairman; Jake Manegdeg, Vice Chairman, Ben Saguibo, Finance Chairman;  Dr. Belinda Aquino, Chair, International Affairs;  Eddie Agas, Sr,. Book Publication; Anacleto Lito Alcantra; Coco Anguay, Big Island Liaison;  Judge Artemio Baxa; Maui Liaison;  Leticia Castillo, Lanai Liaison; Dr. Serafin Colmenares, Chairman, Opening and Closing Programs; Leo Gozar, Arts and Culture; Dr. Raymund Liongson, Program; Homer Rabara, Book Publication; Oscar Portugal, Kauai Liaison; Amado Yoro, Chairman, Media Publicity and Communication.