OFCC special projects on the move… In action, in tasks-taker

Newest member businesswoman Espie Badua, member of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce, now also a new member of Special Action Group-Make Things Done with Chairman Amado Yoro.

What a wonderful morning this February 7, 2015, Saturday in Hawaii nei. I, being the Chairman of the OFCC Special Projects Committee under the OFCC in order to tackle special tasks including but not limited to feeding the homeless, adopt a highway, food-banking, census, rapid response, walk for fun in relations with the raising funds for calamity and natural disasters victims, weed and seed, graffiti buster paint up, earth day A’ina Day, others.

 

For many years now that I am involved in this type of volunteerism: raising funds for calamity and natural disasters victims, weed and seed, graffiti buster paint up, earth day A’ina Day, others.

For many years now since my arrival from the Philippines as a son of an ordinary watercress worker and a grandson of a 1926 sakada sugar plantation worker, and I landed in the sugar plantation as a utility field worker with a $2.10 per hour in 1971, I was involved in this type of volunteerism with the Lions Club International, the Leeward Lions Club, Honolulu Fil-Am Lions Club, the Waipahu Business Association, this project used to be called the WEE-ful program under the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highway Division. I would say: this is one of various extra-curricular activities I am doing in life… the spirit of volunteerism. Give and share.

Today, as the first activity of the year 2015 in terms of Adopt a Highway, at this bright and sunny morning, asides from our regular participants in attendance, we welcomed the newest ever member, Espie Badua, a businesswoman by profession, insurance agent and member of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce. She said: “My pleasure to join you in this kind of community service, helping the community back and make the environment cleaner”. Ms. Badua said, and “I can be with you in the Feeding the Homeless as I want to serve as well”

This whole force this morning are as follows: Luz Peirson, from the Filipino Women’s Civic Club and the Bulacan Circle of Hawaii, former OFCC treasurer;  Lory Barroga-Lee, former member of Ilocos Surian Assn of Hawaii;  Tia Go, youngest, daughter of Helen Grace Villanueva Go, Candonians of Hawaii president;  Al Sabangan, consistent volunteer, officer and adviser of the Cabugao Sons & Daughters Assn of Hawaii, and the Ilocos Surian Assn of Hawaii, UFCH Progress Awardee 2012 for Community Service with his wife Rose Sabangan;  Angie Santiago, Board of Governor, UFCH, former co-chair for the OFCC Special Projects, with her is her son Damien Santiago, youth.

A very consistent as one of the Action Taker—Make a Difference is Jean Jeremiah, the “always there” person, earliest responder, an OFCC Immediate past president [2012-2014], OFCC Council of Past Presidents recorder [secretary], executive director of the Filipino Organizations.com; Jesse Pascual, who is very good co-chairman; a UFCH Progress Awardee 2013 for Community Service; former DWCLCAAH president and OFCC director. 

For the Oahu Filipino Community Council [OFCC], Adopt a Highway Project is one of various activities the Council has involved with.

It is a quarterly activity participated in by volunteers. It was being done in the past and as far as I can remember, adopt a highway is an individual organization’s project, then, in the 80’s [I was OFCC president 1981-1982] and 90’s, it was off and on, in 2005, the project was nearly neglected therefore the DOT took out the sign both ends: Nimitz Hwy and Kula Kolea. To restore and reactivate the project, we had requested that DOT to re-install the sign; Oahu Filipino Council, and in 2006 until now the signs are up and visible. [Thanks to Mr. Charles Lee, highway division].

Not to take any credit, this writer has been co-chairing, chairing this activity under various OFCC president from Edith Pascua,[1999-2001] Eddie Agas, Sr., [2001-2003], Jenny Quezon,[2003-2004], Arnold Villafuerte, [2004-2005],  Lynne Gutierrez,[2005-2007],  Franklin Borromeo, [2007-2008], Cirvalina Longboy, [2008-2009], Danny Villaruz, [2009-2010], Maria Etrata, [2010-2012], Jean Jeremiah, [2012-2014] and currently under Rev. Dr. Alex Vergara, OFCC president 2014-2015.

This project became a partnership with other organizations as promulgated by the UFCH Resolution 2010-001 that was passed at the annual convention in Lahaina, Maui, under the UFCH past president Eddie Agas, Sr. The resolution was prepared and introduced by Jun Abinsay, Danny Villaruz and this writer.

Our committee is open for anyone who has the free time, purely voluntary at free will at own risk. Must be physically fit as the activity requires some bending, picking trash and bagging. It takes only forty five to ninety minutes depending the number of participants. Adopted street is the Kalihi St. a 2-mile stretch from the Nimitz Hwy, Oceanside; split Kalihi and Likelike Hwy to Kula Kolea Rd, across the Kalihi Elementary School towards the Wilson tunnel to Kaneohe running in the very heart of Kalihi district also known as “Filipino town” where most Filipinos live here, and represented by Filipinos to the State Legislature and/or the Honolulu City Council. At various occasions some representatives or former have joined this activity as part of their outreach like from Representative Jun Abinsay, former representative Vice Speaker Joey Manahan, now a councilman; Vice Speaker John Mizuno, married to a Filipina. Also participated in by former Mrs. Hawaii Filipina Armi Farinas, Jema Geronimo, Miss Hawaii Filipina Margaret Pascual, Miss Oahu Filipina, and others.