The Ilokano Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, in partnership with the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures and the NAKEM Conferences Consortium, hosted the 20th NAKEM International Conference from November 19–22, 2025.
The four-day gathering brought together 168 participants from California, Hawaiʻi, Japan, and the Philippines, underscoring NAKEM's continued role as a transnational forum for critical dialogue on language, culture, and education.
Conference Theme and Focus
Organized around the theme "Language Justice, Cultural Democracy, and Liberatory Education," the conference addressed structural inequities in education, linguistic and cultural rights, and community-based approaches to learning.
Participants engaged in panels, keynote presentations, and roundtable discussions that highlighted Indigenous knowledge systems, immigrant experiences, and critical pedagogical practices.
Keynote and Plenary Addresses
Dr. Amefil Agbayani, emeritus assistant vice chancellor for student diversity at UH Mānoa, delivered the keynote address in her third appearance at NAKEM.
She first spoke at the inaugural 2006 conference, which coincided with the centennial commemoration of the sakada—Ilokano plantation workers who arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1906 as indentured laborers.
Drawing on more than five decades of work with immigrant and Indigenous communities across Hawaiʻi, the western United States, and the Indo-Pacific region, Dr. Agbayani discussed persistent challenges related to discrimination, language access, and educational equity, emphasizing the importance of sustained community advocacy and collective action.
Presidential addresses were delivered by Dr. Aurelio S. Agcaoili, president of NAKEM Philippines (International), and Dr. Alegria Tan Visaya, president of NAKEM Philippines.
Additional keynote and plenary speakers included:
- Hon. Arman Talbo, consul general of the Philippine Consulate General of Honolulu
- Dr. Donna Padilla-Taguiba, president of PanPacific University, Philippines
- Dr. Itaru Nagasaka, professor at Hiroshima University, Japan
- Dr. Nora A. Oredina, dean of the College of Teacher Education, Don Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines
- Dr. Alma Ouanesisouk Trinidad, associate dean of Portland State University, Oregon
- Dr. Mario Obrero, president of Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Philippines
- Dr. Maria Mercedes Arzadon, professor at the University of the Philippines
- Dr. Rosalina Villaneza and Dr. Gaudencio Luis Serrano, chief education program specialist and supervising education specialist, respectively, at the Department of Education, Philippines
- Dr. Patricia Halagao, professor at the College of Education, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
- Dr. Arcelita Masa, primary health care practitioner, Hawaiʻi
- Representatives from Kaibagan ng Lahaina/Friends of Lahaina, a nonprofit organization supporting the rebuilding of the Lahaina community following the 2023 wildfire
Conference Leadership
The conference was convened by Dr. Agcaoili, chair of the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, and Dean Domingo, coordinator of the UH Mānoa Ilokano Program.
Their leadership continued a collaboration between the UH Ilokano Program and NAKEM that has been maintained since 2006.
The conference has functioned as both an academic gathering and a community-centered space for reflection and dialogue.
Looking Ahead
As NAKEM marked its twentieth year, the conference reaffirmed its commitment to fostering conversations that connect scholarship, activism, and cultural memory. The focus on language justice, cultural democracy, and educational equity will continue to guide future gatherings.
The 21st annual NAKEM Conference will be held July 22–24, 2026, at Partido State University in Goa, Camarines Sur, Philippines.
The conference will be convened by Dr. Arnel B. Zarcedo, president of Partido State University, and Dr. Agcaoili, chair of the NAKEM Consortium.
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