Mission
The mission of the Center for Philippine Studies is to promote the study of the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora through teaching, research, community outreach, and academic partnerships. It aims to support Filipino students, recognize Filipino contributions to Hawaii and the U.S. and strengthen the University of Hawaii’s global reputation in Philippine studies. Mission of the Center.pdf
The Center meets this mission through regular courses in various departments, student advising and participation in extracurricular or cultural programs, library acquisition through the Asia Collection of Hamilton Library, networking with other university units or community colleges, community outreach activities, exchange activities with Philippine institutions, and a leadership role in international Philippine Studies.
OUR VISION AND GOALS
We are dedicated to building on the proud legacy of the Center for Philippine Studies by empowering learners to embrace their identity and give back to the community through partnerships, knowledge production, advocacy and the arts.
Role at UHM and the World
The Center for Philippine Studies (CPS) at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa plays an important role in promoting interest in the Philippines and Filipinos in the diaspora as an academic field of study. As such, it occupies a unique place in the university as it finds a niche in the world. Studying the Philippines and its people at UHM is fun. Find out why.
CPS was originally established as a Program in 1975 by an Act of the Hawai’i State Legislature 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. Administratively, the Center is housed at the School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS) of the College of Languages, Arts and Letters (CALL). It is the only such center in North America and an internationally recognized source of broad and specialized expertise on a country and people that have had long historical links with the US and the Asia-Pacific region.
Learn more about the Center by navigating this site.
Our Impacts
CPS by the Numbers
Over the past 50 years, the Center for Philippine Studies has made longstanding impact in advancing academics, representation, and programming. Here is a snapshot of our progress.
25%
Hawai‘i residents:
367,525 of Filipino descent
9.7%
UHM students:
1,951 of Filipino descent in Fall 2024
3.2%
UHM faculty:
30 tenured/tenuretrack faculty identify as Filipino
151
Courses
with Filipino content
56
BA degrees awarded
Bachelor of Arts in Philippine Language and Literature with two emphases offered: Filipino/Tagalog and Ilokano
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies with a Philippine interdisciplinary concentration
200+
Student scholarships
awarded
30+
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Participants
CPS has obtained grants from the Department of Education Fulbright- Hays Group Projects Abroad in 2019 and 2023. The second Fulbright- Hays GPA that CPS implemented was called, “Filipino Language and Indigenous Cultural Heritage” (locally titled, “Project Dunong at Kalinangan”).
350+
Students
25+
College Instructors
25+
High School Teachers
7
International conferences
with nearly
1,000
participants
combined
600+
Colloquium Series Speakers Hosted
CPS conducts regular lectures and public seminars on topics related to the Philippines and Filipinos. It promotes intellectual interest and interaction within the University community, particularly among Philippine specialists.
