FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             November 25, 2005

Release No.  M-103

MAYOR PRESENTS $100,000 CHECK FOR FILIPINO CENTENNIAL

            Mayor Mufi Hannemann today presented a check for $100,000 to Elias Beniga, chairman of the Hawaii Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission.

            “As we are celebrating the centennial of the City and County of Honolulu, we are pleased to help members of the Filipino community celebrate this important benchmark in their history in Hawaii,” said Hannemann, who has been named honorary chair of the centennial commission’s advisory committee.  “This money will go toward various events during the year-long Filipino Centennial Celebration.  A substantial part of it will go toward the Philippine International Trade Exposition, which will be held December 13 to 16, 2006, at the Hawaii Convention Center in Waikiki.”

            The check presentation comes on the eve of the mayor’s departure on a five-day trip to the Philippines –“Pagsasamahan Ng Pilipinas at Honolulu” – Honolulu’s ties with the Philippines .

            Hannemann accepted invitations to visit from Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Manila Mayor Jose “Lito” Atienza Jr. Hannemann will also visit Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, the home states of many Hawaii Filipinos and will invite officials there to participate in the centennial and the trade expo. He will be reaffirming Honolulu’s commitment to its sister cites Manila and Laoag and sign a new sister-city agreement with Vigan in Ilocos Sur.

            Other people present for today’s check presentation included City Councilman Nestor Garcia  Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission members Jake Manegdeg,  Benjamin Saguibo,  Eddie Agas, Sr., Lito Alcantra,  Belinda Aquino, Serafin Colmenares, Leo Gozar, and Amado Yoro; Vergil Adonis, co-chair of the trade expo; Consul Betita, acting head of post for the Philippine Consulate; Alma Caberto, president of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Stephen Callo, president-elect of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

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Contact:

           Bill Brennan, 527-6928

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767