Strong tourism ties between Phl, Hawaii eyed

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Wednesday welcomed the Pacific Century Fellow (PCF) delegation at Malacañan Palace to discuss how to further strengthen relations between the Philippines and the United States' island state Hawaii, especially in the tourism sector.

The PCF is a group of established and emerging leaders in Hawaii. It was founded by former Honolulu mayor and current president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association Mufi Hannemann. 

Hannemann is an advocate of the Filipino community in Hawaii and a supporter of advancement and promotion of Filipinos in the tourism industry.

“It is always a pleasure for me to welcome our friends from Hawaii, especially when the purpose of your visit is to continue to find ways to interact even more closely with the Philippines considering, of course, that the Filipino population in Hawaii is a significant one,” Marcos said.

Hannemann said he was looking forward to working with Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and exchanging ideas.

“I think there are major opportunities that exist to do that. We know United Airlines has increased the air service here but I think [there’s] an opportunity for Alaska Airlines to rejuvenate what Hawaiian airlines used to do. So, we see many beneficial opportunities there. So, we’re just here today to again express our gratitude and appreciation to you,” he noted.

According to local publications in Hawaii, there are around 367,000 to 370,000 people with Filipino ancestry in the area, as of 2024. Filipinos have been reportedly residing in Hawaii since the 1860s.