Aloha & Mabuhay Conference - A Virtual Event

The Hawaii-Philippines Business & Economic Council (HPBEC) will host the ALOHA & MABUHAY CONFERENCE on October 13 & 14 of this year. This virtual event is a project of the HPBEC, a non-profit organization incorporated in 2011 whose primary mission is to create a forum for the exchange of information and direction between Hawai’i and the Philippines to promote business & economic development, and advocate for Hawai’i residents who consider both the Philippines and Hawai’i as home.

Thought leaders from Hawai’i and the Philippines have been invited to participate as speakers, panelists, moderators and artists to discuss issues and share best practices or showcase their art works that are relevant and timely to both --- along the five (5) pillars of Philippines-Hawai’i diplomatic relations namely: political governance, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, people-to-people ties and social responsibility. Using the pillars of soft diplomacy that informed Philippines and Hawai’i bilateral relations is timely during this year’s 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two.

For Hawai’i, one of the 50 states that comprise the United States, ties with the Philippines are lengthy and enduring and can be traced to the Austronesian expansion that originated from a prehistoric seaborne migration from Taiwan that reached Northern Philippines, and eventually Hawai’i. Hawai’i and the Philippines also shared the results of US colonial expansion at the beginning of the 20th century, which propelled the recruitment of the first pioneering OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) from the Philippines to Hawai’i in 1906 with the arrival of the first 15 sakadas.

This year, 2021 is also a landmark year—a time of recovery from the pandemic that changed the world, where technology has allowed us to dialogue and share experiences despite the restrictions imposed by COVID 19. Filipino History Month is typically celebrated in October, so it is timely to commemorate the links that bind the Philippines and Hawai’i in a format that allows inclusive participation—thus this virtual gathering is both timely and relevant.