History


The Center for Philippine Studies (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 Hawaiʻi , and to highlight the academic expertise on the Philippines at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. It was subsequently established at the University of Hawaii as a Philippine Studies Program under the Asian Studies Program, which later became the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.

Looking back, the Steering Committee responsible for the preparation of the Philippine Studies Program Feasibility Study was composed of the following members:

  • Prof. Walter F. Vella, Prof. of History and Director, Southeast Asian Studies (chairman)
  • Prof. Michael L. Forman, Assoc. Prof. of Linguistics (co-chairman)
  • Prof. Robert B. Stauffer, Prof. of Political Science
  • Prof. Benedict Kerkvliet, Asst. Prof. of Political Science
  • Prof. Ricardo D. Trimillos, Assoc. Prof. of Music
  • Prof. Virgie Chattergy, Asst. Prof. of Education
  • Prof. Teresita V. Ramos, Asst. Prof. of Indo-Pacific Languages
  • Dr. Amy Agbayani, Director, Operation Manong
  • Mrs. Estrella Sybinsky, Lecturer, Ethnic Studies, Leeward C.C.
  • Miss Evelyn Hernandez, Lecturer, Ethnic Studies, U.H. in Manoa
  • Miss Sharon Matutino, Student in Liberal Studies
  • Mr. Toy Arre, Jr., Deputy Finance Director, City & County, Honolulu
  • Mrs. Ethel A. Ward, TESOL Teacher, Farrington High School
  • Mr. James Tuyay, Student in Sociology
  • Dr. Ramon de la Pena, Director of Economic Planning, Kauai
  • Mr. Shiro Saito, Bibliographer, Hamilton Library
  • Dr. Belinda A. Aquino, Coordinator, Operation Manong

Dr. Belinda Aquino, Dr. Benedict Kerkvliet, and Dr. Amy Agbayani wrote and submitted the final report. Dr. Aquino served as the first director of the Center, then a program, when it opened in 1975.

In 1988 the Program became the Center for Philippine Studies and was put under the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies (now School of Pacific and Asian Studies, or SPAS) for administrative reasons.

CPS through the years

Today, the Center is one of the established area studies centers of SPAS and part of the larger program on Asian/Southeast Asian Studies in the same School.

The Center has undertaken various outreach activities in the large Filipino community over the years.

Leadership Succession

The first director of the Center, Dr. Belinda Aquino was named a member of the statewide Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission that hosted the 100th anniversary of Filipino immigration to Hawai’i in 2006. The Center lobbied the State Legislature for funding for the Commission which set $150,000 as “seed money.” Dr. Aquino retired in 2009, and was succeeded by Dr. Ricardo D. Trimillos as Interim Director until July 2011.  Then, Dr. Vina Lanzona replaced Dr. Trimillos and stayed in office until July 2015. Dr. Patricio N. Abinales succeeded Dr. Lanzona, and a new election of the next director was held in April 2018, choosing Dr. Pia Arboleda. Dr. Arboleda held office as CPS director until December 2023.

In January 2024, the Center for Philippine Studies is currently headed by Dr. Patricia Espiritu Halagao and Dr. J. Lorenzo Perillo as Co-Directors. They were elected by the CPS Executive Council for three years.

Legacy of Directors

Dr. Belinda A. Aquino left a lasting legacy as the founding director of the Center. She started in 1975 until 2009. She successfully campaigned for funds to finance research projects of students, many of whom were writing their theses or dissertations. Over the years, Dr. Aquino secured four endowments with an estimated market value of at least $240,000 in 2024. These endowments are described elsewhere in this website. She was also a leading light in the establishment of several international conferences hosted by CPS, especially the International Conference on Philippine Studies (ICOPHIL) in collaboration with colleagues from the Philippines, Japan, and scholars from the United States and Europe. Dr. Aquino also directed the once-in-a-lifetime International Conference, the Centennial Celebration of Filipinos in Hawaiʻi in 2006.

After Dr. Aquino, Dr. Ric Trimillos took over the Center’s leadership for about two years. Though short in duration, Dr. Trimillos instituted a number of significant changes of the Center. Among them, he reorganized the Executive Council, created committees, revised the By-Laws, systematized operations, and redefined the term of the Director to four years with a possible renewal. This was shortened later to three years, when Dr. Pia Arboleda assumed leadership of the Center.