There have been close to two dozen Philippine Consuls General in Honolulu since 1946 and we extend a warm welcome to the new Consul General Arman R. Talbo who assumed the post on March 18, 2025.
The Philippine Consulate General was accredited with the United States in January 1947 when Hawaii was then a territory. Hawaii became a state in 1959.
In the nascent years when Hawaii’s Filipino community’s roots were beginning to implant and decades before the Filipino Community Center, it was the Philippine Consulate General on 2433 Pali Highway that served as a popular meeting place for Filipino clubs and organizations.
Those days have long gone, supplanted by the FilCom Center as a primary meeting place. But the Consulate’s imposing colonial white mansion with its iconic columns surrounded by majestic palm trees that arouse nostalgia among many old-timers in our Filipino community still serves as an important place for Filipinos in Hawaii, especially for Philippines nationals, dual citizens, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipinos and non-Filipinos engaged in Philippine interests like business or U.S.-Philippines government matters.
The U.S. is the Philippines third largest trading partners and the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu helps to promote trade relations between business owners in Hawaii and their counterparts in the Philippines.
One notable event to encourage local Hawaii residents and businesses to buy Philippines food products and to bolster potential business between Philippine-based companies and local eateries is the annual Filipino Food Week that the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle helps to promote.
Filipino Food Week that the Consulate puts together invites popular Filipino restaurants and non-Filipino restaurants statewide to offer special Filipino cuisine for a week.
New Consul General Arman R. Talbo Another major event that still draws in a crowd coordinated by the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu is the annual Philippine Independence Day celebration. This year, the 127th Philippine Independence Day celebration, will be held in June at the Coral Ballroom, Hilton Hawaiian Village, and hosted by the new Consul General who already has been working with the Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii (PCCCH) on this event.
A community event Talbo took part in recently is the Filipino Chamber of Commerce (FCCHJ) Fellows – Destiny Class recognizing those who completed the leadership program. Talbo noted that Filipino Americans can uplift both communities. He said that the fellows embody “the songs, hopes, and aspirations of our ancestors, the warmth of our families, the joy of our celebrations, and the deep sense of duty for our country.”
Talbo is an Ilocano native who previously served as Deputy Consul General in New York during an important time in history. “I was there during the COVID pandemic and the surge of Asian hate cases,” he said. “But I am sure that my assignment here in Honolulu will shape up to be one of the best, as I can already feel the energy of our huge Filipino population in the islands. I am so excited to work with everyone.”
Prior to New York, he served as Vice Consul in Barcelona, Spain. He received a Business Administration and Accountancy degree, as well as his Juris Doctor.
He told the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle in a recent interview that his top three priorities as new Consul General include the preservation and enhancement of national security, the promotion and attainment of economic security, and the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas—all of which form the pillars of Philippine foreign policy, Talbo says.
Like his predecessors, Talbo will lead the important services that the Consulate provides like processing applications for passports, notarials, civil registration, and dual citizenship, as well as facilitating Philippines voting and voting registration to those who qualify.
Looking forward to collaborative work The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle as well as many of our Filipino organizations and clubs look forward to working with you, Consul Talbo.
The Consul General in Honolulu has a long-standing, iron-clad working relationship with Hawaii’s community and we’re confident that you will succeed in carrying on this tradition. Let’s continue to work together to foster economic opportunities and promote our Filipino culture.
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