Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Marks Its 30th Year Anniversary, Thank You to All Our Supporters
When the publishers of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle were brainstorming for a name of our newspaper, it turns out that what they’ve decided on is perhaps most fitting. The first parts are a given without needing elaboration. But “Chronicle” or chronicling our community is what we’ve been doing for 30 years — how we as a community has been challenged, where we’ve been coming up short, where we are progressing, what will benefit us in policies (and inversely, what could harm us) and who are helping us rise (within and outside our community) to new heights.
This month, we are pleased to announce we’ve reached the milestone of our 30th Anniversary. It’s a time for both celebration and reflection.
Changing and not changing with the times
Over the course of 30 years, it certainly has been an eventful journey. From media’s transformation in tech and in business, to the industry’s expansion of new digital news outfits that are not necessarily anchored in journalistic ethics or professionalism.
On media’s new tech and business culture, our publishers have had to adjust for our newspaper to survive and make personal labor of love financial sacrifices. As for journalism ethics, we believe we’ve kept steadfast to our professional principles.
Maintaining accuracy in reporting and defending media’s worth
Sound journalism has never been more important to combat the rampant disinformation and misinformation on social media. Adding fuel to our current culture of facts-bending are interest groups and some politicians who either use media to promote an agenda or outright attack responsible media who do not succumb to promoting such special interests or outright lies.
There no longer is consensus on the value of media today. For the most part in the past most saw valiance in the Fourth Estate, with journalists as guardians against abuse of power, corruption, and advocates for the common good. Today, to some, media itself (because of how it’s casted by a few powerful leaders) are seen as the abusers of power, corrupt and working against the common good.
But as other responsible media with integrity, the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle hasn’t been shy about pointing the finger at such powerful leaders both in the United States and abroad who have worked to discredit media, and in some cases, have put the lives of professional journalists in harm’s way.
At the same time, admittedly, not all media is worth defending. And HFC has also called out some media for numerous reasons from promoting lies to fomenting division.
Remaining committed to our mission, specifically serving our Filipino community
Where we perhaps stayed the course and have been true to our mission most in over 30 years is our commitment to our community and our advocacy role in bettering the lives of Filipinos as well as our image as a people.
While our community has made tremendous progress, there are still areas of need. For example, most of us are aware of the physician shortage in Hawaii that is reaching crisis level in some underserved communities.
Recently, we raised awareness in a HFC cover story that the physician shortage is particularly acute among Filipino physicians, which could impact patient care as many Filipino immigrants feel most comfortable communicating with Filipino doctors who understand their first language and have the background that enables them to be more culturally sensitive to our community.
The physician shortage could also potentially impact with greater severity underserved communities where many Filipinos reside. On top of that, our cover story addressed the ways that Filipino doctors are helping to meet some of the shortage demands on our islands through the Primary Care Clinic of Hawaii Preceptorship Program that has established a channel for foreign medical graduate students to gain clinical medical experience in our state and eventually return to Hawaii to practice medicine as an option.
In this one issue alone, we’ve presented three angles: acute shortage of Filipino doctors, the underserved communities that include many in our community, and the great work our physicians are taking to bring relief to this state crisis. And because HFC has reported on it, as well as interviewed some of the people in position to lobby for changes, the powers-that-be on this issue are aware that our newspaper, our community are watching what they do and don’t do in addressing the state’s physician shortage.
What we have done in this one issue, is the same approach we take on reporting other pressing issues — and that is to find how Filipinos are specifically being impacted. We’ve used to the same approach when reporting on inflation and the countless other issues we’ve tackled over decades.
It is this advocacy, this specific slant that makes the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle as relevant today as we were when we first started.
Thank you
We recognize our newspaper’s longevity could not have been possible without the support and collaboration from: 1) our Filipino community, 2) our working partners in government, business, higher education, nonprofits, civic groups, and organizations who help to keep us informed on the latest news, 3) our advertisers, 4) our readers, and our 5) staff.
To all of you, a big mahalo and thank you. And congratulations to our publishers Dr. Charlie Sonido and Chona Montesines-Sonido (also managing editor) for their sacrifices, hard work, and commitment to the cause of keeping the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle running for 30 years.
