FILIPINO COMMUNITY CENTER's mission is to develop, own and operate a community center that provides social, economic and education services and to promote and perpetuate Filipino culture and customs in the State of Hawai‘i.

 

A tax-exempt, non-profit organization as defined under section 501(c) 3 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the FilCom Center was built through the generous donations of foundations, trusts, private corporations and government entities. AMFAC donated the land. Heading its list of donors are the Harry & Jeannette Weinberg, the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of Commerce, the State of Hawai’i, the VA Housing and Urban Development, the Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation and a great number of business establishments. Credit however, goes to the community for working so hard in soliciting pledges from almost everyone.

The FilCom Center was formally inaugurated in June, 2002, almost a century after the first 15 Filipino farmers sailed for Hawai’i on board the SS Doric in 1906, which legitimized the Filipino migration to the western hemisphere. By the turn of the century, there were 200,000 Americans of Filipino ancestry in Hawai’i making up more than 15% of the state’s population, enough to gain a powerful identity in the community through culture, entertainment, education, business and politics. The need for a place to showcase its culture and traditions became apparent. This became the symbol of the Filipinos’ achievements, the elegant structure that now stands on the corner of Mokuola and Waipahu Streets.