Filipino council excluded
Hawaii County is to be praised for organizing virtual events to keep sister city relationships alive, as reported by Nancy Cook Lauer on Sept. 9, “Sister city program survives pandemic: Virtual events keep relationship alive” (Tribune-Herald).
However, as members of the Big Island Filipino Community Council, the host organization for Cabugao, Philippines sisterhood, we are deeply offended and infuriated for being excluded and detached from these important events. Some of us were also delegates who visited Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, Philippines in February 2018 and February 2020.
Why did none of us receive any communication from sister city protocol officer Jane Clement about the virtual conference themed, “A Whole New World,” and a two-hour Zoom meeting with sister city representatives?
The Roth administration and Jane Clement have a duty to ensure every sister city and host organizations are fairly represented in all sister city events. It’s basic diplomacy!
Our sisterhood with Cabugao is crucial because Port Salomague was the departure point in 1946 for the last wave of 6,000-plus sakadas (laborers) coming to Hawaii. It was created to honor the sacrifices of those courageous men who paved the way for Filipino migration and contributed to the progress of Hawaii.
We proudly celebrate Sakada Day each year on Dec. 20 and Filipino-American History Month every October to perpetuate their legacy!
As volunteers who have extended our own resources to initiate various intercultural projects to achieve sister city objectives, being excluded from the recent virtual events and from collaborations with Hawaii County officials is akin to disrespecting the sacrifices of our sakadas.
Hawaii County officials need to seriously reevaluate and improve their own relations with their communities, let alone sister city relations with other countries!
Christina T. Ranan
Hilo
Foot patrols needed
I read with great interest your newspaper article “Palace Theater says: ‘No more poop on our stoop!’” and have a solution to this problem.
Back in the early ’70s, when I was a foot patrol officer for the Hawaii Police Department, we use to “pound the beat,” so to speak, and this was done during the midnight shift which started from 10:45 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
I remember patrolling on foot the entire Hilo town area in the wee morning hours, shaking door knobs of the many business establishments and to my amazement finding a lot of unlocked doors.
A note was then left at the store to inform the owner that a cursory check was made, everything appeared to be in order, the place was secured, and if there were any questions, they could call the station later on.
Because of police presence during this time period, the problems that currently exist to this day in the downtown area were taken cared of right away before it got out of hand. I firmly believe that if the police department implements the revitalization of some kind of a foot patrol program, as was done in the past, it could conceivably be the only viable option in order for the community to take back the old Hilo town that we once knew and loved in the past.
According to the news media, the Honolulu police have foot patrol officers patrolling again in Chinatown and has seen a drastic improvement, along with a collaborative effort and input from the shop owners there, getting the impression back as a safe and healthy environment to conduct business and visit there once again. Think about it.
Prentiss Moreno
Hilo