Join Us!
October to December 2025
Art & Culture Exhibit: Kulturang Makulay “Colorful Culture”
Kick off the 50th Anniversary of the Center for Philippine Studies with Kulturang Makulay: “Colorful Culture”— Filipino Arts and Culture Exhibit at the East-West Center.
Curated by renowned artist and fashion designer Iris Gil Viacrusis, this exhibit will showcase the rich diversity of Filipino culture, featuring an extraordinary collection of fashion, art, music, and artifacts. Visitors will experience the vibrant tapestry of the Philippines’ many traditions and influences.
Acclaimed for creating replicas of royal attire displayed at Iolani Palace, Iris Gil Viacrusis will also serve as the costume designer for the Filipino Cultural Production at the Kennedy Theatre, bringing the beauty of Filipino heritage to life.
Exhibit Dates: October 12, 2025 – March 15, 2026
Iris Gil Viacrusis and Annie Reynolds, curators
Weekdays 9:00 am–4:30 pm
Sundays Noon–4:00 pm
Closed Saturdays, and Nov. 11, 27, 28, Dec. 24, 25, 31, Jan. 1, 18, 19, Feb. 15, 16
Gallery admission is free. The East-West Center is a proud member of the Museums for All network.
Visitor parking is managed by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Parking fees apply on weekdays. Parking on Saturdays and Sundays are free and ample.
Free school and group tours are available. More info: arts@eastwestcenter.org
Visit the East-West Center website for more information about the exhibit.
Location:
East-West Center Gallery (map)
John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848
iJeepney Launch: Empowering the Next Generation
2025 Filipino Cultural Summit & Fall Youth Conference
In 2006, the Smithsonian commemorated the 100th anniversary of Filipino immigration to the United States by sponsoring the development of a Filipino American online curriculum, nicknamed “iJeepney.” Now, twenty years later, we are proud to introduce iJeepney 2.0 An Interactive Community for Filipino History and Culture – Empowering the Next Generation. This updated version is more than just a revamp—it’s a dynamic, user-friendly platform designed to reflect the latest in technology, offering interactive lessons, engaging formats, and increased accessibility.
In this exciting new chapter, we are collaborating with youth to harness the power of social media tools for content creation and community building, ensuring the curriculum is informative, vibrant, and forward-thinking. By tapping into youth culture and promoting collective storytelling, this curriculum transforms history into an interactive and empowering experience.
More details about the “2025 Filipino Cultural Summit & Sariling Gawa Fall Youth Conference” are found in this link: 2025 Filipino Cultural Summit | Filipino Jaycees of Honolulu.
A comprehensive professional development program will also be rolled out, equipping educators with the skills they need to effectively integrate technology and the updated curriculum into their classrooms.
Date: October 4, 2025, Saturday, 9:00am-4:00pm
Location: Leeward Community College
If you’d like to support us, learn more by visiting https://givebutter.com/fcs25-spon
Philippine Rare Collection presents “The Cartographies of Skin and Soil: Tattoos, Resistance, and 1500s Colonial Maps of the Philippines” Behind-the-Scenes Tour & Workshop
The University of Hawai’i proudly houses one of the most extensive Philippine collections outside the Philippines, focusing on the Philippines and Filipinos in the Social Sciences and Humanities. This invaluable resource serves not only the research needs of UHM students, faculty, and staff but also attracts scholars and community patrons from across the globe who are studying the history, culture, and society of the Philippines.
The Philippine rare collection features a major archival material event, Cartographies of Skin and Soil, an assembly of precolonial maps such as the first solo map of the Philippines from the 1500s, Philippine revolutionary papers 1898-1900, Philippine Underground Papers During the Ferdinand Marcos Regime 1965-1986, and traditional tattoos.
Join a guided tour of the Cartographies of Skin and Soil exhibit and hands-on workshop with the Philippine Studies librarian, Elena Clariza, and get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the rare and unique materials in the collection. If we’re lucky, we might even have the rare opportunity to view a book from the library vault. To join the tour and workshop, please register by scanning the QR Code in the flyer or by clicking the following link: Register Now
Early Maps of the Philippines are also stored in the Philippine Collection.
Tour and Workshop dates:
October 15, 2025 (5:30-6:30 pm)
October 16, 2025 (3:00-5:30 pm)
Exhibit: October 15 – December 5, 2025
Location: All events are at Hamilton Library, 4th Floor, Asia Reading Room
The Philippine Studies Collection continues to grow, with thousands of new materials—including open-access digital resources—added annually. To access the collection, visit the Philippines – Research Guides at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
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Center for Philippine Studies Anthology
The Center for Philippine Studies (CPS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa stands as one of the most developed center of its kind in North America, with the largest concentration of Philippine academic specialists in the U.S. Despite the growth of Philippine Studies globally, there remains a gap in understanding the role of centers like CPS and how other Philippine Studies programs, both in the Philippines and in Filipino diasporas, might learn from its history.
Continuing the longstanding tradition of scholarly work produced by CPS faculty and affiliated scholars, the CPS Anthology will be the first collection published by the Center to document and critically reflect on its 50-year history. The anthology consists of the history of Philippine Studies, writings from former CPS directors, faculty, and community partners, and envisioning the future. We hope the CPS Anthology will be a valuable resource for current and future Philippine Studies programs in Hawai‘i, the Philippines, and worldwide.
Book Launch: November 2025
Filipino Dance Production: Dancing in the Diaspora
In 1975, an Act of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature established CPS to recognize the contributions of Filipinos to the history of Hawai’i and to highlight the academic expertise on the Philippines at the University of Hawai’i. Dancing in the Diaspora: Celebrating 50 Years of CPS on the Move draws from this history, mission, and vision to recognize how CPS has grown to be an invaluable source of scholarly research, educational activism, and community outreach. Dancing in the Diaspora is conducted in collaboration with Department of Theatre and Dance and Kennedy Theatre.
A group of international and local choreographers from the Philippines, Hawai’i, and beyond will host community workshops and collaborate with UHM students, faculty, and staff to co-create a transformative, multidisciplinary cultural production.
Join us as we address topics ranging from preservation, healing, migrant labor, and identity formation through the production, which aligns with state curriculum standards, features a ground-breaking curriculum, and panel discussion to build and strengthen cultural connections.
Dates: November 14, 15, 21, 22 (7:30 PM), Nov 23 (2:00 PM), and November 18 (High school showing, 8:00 AM-2:00 PM)
- Dancing in the Diaspora is a mainstage dance production exploring the experiences of Filipinos navigating belonging and exclusion in Hawai‘i and beyond. Featuring Filipino Indigenous storytelling, music, Hip Hop, and Street Dance, the performance highlights dance as a force for identity, healing, and community.
- Written and Directed by Dr. J. Lorenzo Perillo, Associate Professor and Co-Director of CPS, Dancing in the Diaspora assembles acclaimed international and local choreographers Mary Chris (Mycs) Villoso, Von Ace Asilo, Angela Sebastian, Ron Querian and Lydia Querian of House of Gongs, and Manarii Gauthier and Nalini Gauthier, founders of award-winning Tahiti Mana.
- For information & tickets visit: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/liveonstage/ditd/
Location:
John F. Kennedy Theatre
1770 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822