by HFC Staff
Hawaii Filipino Chronicle’s (HFC) Chronicle Pulse has interviewed readers and supporters regarding various topics over the years. For this issue, HFC flipped the script and reached out to its own past and current staff members to reflect on the last 32 years of HFC.
Renelaine Pfister
In this digital age, Hawaii Filipino Chronicle’s thirty-one years of print journalism is truly a remarkable accomplishment. Filipinos in Hawaii benefit from having a newspaper that keeps us informed on news and events as well as fun features in the U.S. and the Philippines… for free.
Caroline Julian-Freitas
The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle continuously plays a vital role for both the Filipino and the entire Hawaii community. It has a pulse on what’s happening in our community and provides a platform for our voices to be heard. It sheds light on important issues facing us and celebrates our achievements and leaders who make a difference. Our community is not only heard but also seen through the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. It is so important to ensure that ethnic newspapers exist in a shrinking industry to cover stories that are important to us.
Teresita Bernales
In this age of the proliferation of many different news platforms, the prevalence of misinformation has risen exponentially. However, for me, I can always count on the Filipino Chronicle for news that does not have to be fact-checked. It is my one news resource that I feel very confident that I am getting real news and information. The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle has made sterling accomplishments over its 31 years of publication. It is a powerful voice for the Filipino Community in Hawaii. It has provided our community with a reliable news source and a cultural touchstone.
A voice for Filipinos, culture preservation, advocacy for justice and equity, and fostering informed citizens. The Filipino Chronicle has amplified Filipino voices; by covering issues specific to the Filipino Community, it has given visibility to Filipino concerns in various topics such as immigration rights, education, and healthcare. Articles on Filipino history, heritage, and current events have allowed us a sense of unity and pride among Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in Hawaii. This has helped preserve traditions and strengthen connections between generations and with our native land the Philippines.
HFC has also advocated for social justice and equity. By reporting on and advocating for issues affecting Filipinos and other immigrant groups the Chronicle has encouraged awareness and progress in areas of racial equity and social justice. Being an informed citizen is a hallmark of democracy.
Through HFC’s thorough coverage of local and state politics, you are empowering your readers to engage in civic life and understand how policies impact their lives and families. By providing annual scholarships in journalism you are making landmark accomplishments to ensure that we have generations of journalists that will uphold the mission of journalism and the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle.
The impact of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is substantial, not only in the Filipino community but also across all Hawaii communities as it serves to bridge between cultures and generations.
The Chronicle’s adherence to fair, relevant, and culturally resonant journalism has made it a valuable resource that elevates the voices of the Filipino diaspora and contributes significantly to Hawaii’s diverse population.
Truth and honesty always prevail. Congratulations!
Glenn Wakai
The Filipino Chronicle plays an essential role in the betterment of Hawaii, serving as both a source of culturally relevant news and a platform for preserving heritage. As Hawaii’s largest ethnic group, Filipinos face unique struggles and triumphs. For 31 years the Chronicle has highlighted issues that mainstream media often overlook.
As a former journalist and contributing writer to the Chronicle, I have deepened my appreciation for the Sakadas and the generations that benefit from their courageous decisions.
The Chronicle continues to provide a voice to Hawaii’s Filipino community by highlighting issues like immigration, discrimination, policy impacts, and outstanding achievements by local Filipinos. Maraming salamat po to the many hands that pour their souls into this bi-monthly publication. The need for advocacy and unifying messages will be needed in the decades ahead.
Linda Dela Cruz
I’m honored to be one of the contributing writers for the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle, a publication that deeply resonates with our community. I often hear from readers of all backgrounds who connect with the stories I’ve written or those of fellow contributors. I’m proud of the Chronicle’s enduring commitment to sharing Filipino voices, especially as many media outlets have come and gone during its 31-year history.
The Chronicle spotlights stories often overlooked by other media. For example, a piece on homelessness led to a radio interview on KCCN/KINE, while a feature on Filipino race car driver Jovy Marcelo commemorated his life and legacy. I started writing for the Chronicle in 1997, five years after its launch in 1993. I’ve cherished telling stories like Dr. Francis Duhaylongsod’s work in cardiac surgery and highlighting filmmakers such as Stephanie Castillo and Brillante Mendoza, whose work enriches our lives.
The Chronicle has earned numerous accolades, including SBA’s Small Business Journalist of the Year for Honolulu in 2006. Attending its 25th-anniversary celebration was a proud moment, as it was a joy to see the community celebrate the publication’s accomplishments, a moment I shared with my father, who hails from Balagtas, Bulacan. I credit the Chronicle for being a part of my success in my journalism career in radio, MidWeek newspaper, KHON2, and now as the Communications Director and Parent Relations Liaison at Assets School. I look forward to the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle’s continued legacy in the community.
Gregory Garcia
Over the past 31 years, the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle has stood as a beacon of information and community advocacy in Hawaii. It has seen success in fostering unity among the islands’ Filipino diaspora community, helping preserve the country’s heritage, and empowering readers to stay informed, engaged, and connected to their roots through thoughtful and in-depth coverage of issues that are relevant to Filipinos.
Whether it’s reporting on immigration policy, economic challenges, healthcare issues, or other news, the Chronicle has amplified Filipino voices in public discourse and created a platform for the community to share their stories.
Beyond covering news, the Chronicle has also advocated for education, civic engagement, social justice, and political representation. It has indeed become a cultural institution that is sure to leave a lasting legacy and impact for years to come.
Rose Cruz Churma
In the summer of 2023, a young scholar—a professor of sociology from Iowa—and her research assistants, visited Hawai’i to research to explain the emergence and development of conservative and right-wing ideology in U.S. politics among Filipinos. Hawai’i’s Filipinos were chosen for the pilot study because we are the oldest, largest, and most assimilated immigrant groups in the U.S. We also come from a home country modeled after American-style democracy.
One of the first activities of the research team was to converge on the Hawai’i Filipino Chronicle’s offices to do their research—poring over the past issues since the paper’s establishment 31 years ago. The papers’ previous issues were valuable sources of information on the pulse of the community, a crucial factor in assessing how our collective values and dreams have evolved.
I mentioned to the lead researcher that there are other community newspapers on the island. In essence, she noted that it would be a waste of time. The Chronicle had provided what they were looking for.
Its news stories and opinion pieces were substantive and relevant. It reflected what mattered to the community and was consistently dependable: the paper came out regularly without fail despite the State’s economic ups and downs, closure of its long-time printing press, and other woes.
If this trajectory continues, which seems to be the case, the paper will remain an important source of information on the Filipino presence in Hawai’i. It will be a valuable tool to historians and researchers, as it is now. It will keep us visible and ensure that our collective aspirations are documented to serve as a guiding light in strengthening our community.
Dennis Galolo
The Chronicle has received several awards from the private and public sectors over its three decades of service to the community. These awards are important for many reasons. They provide third-party validation and demonstrate excellence in the news industry. Such awards also boost community recognition and support, attract new and potential customers, and set the Chronicle apart from competitors.
Most importantly, I think these awards boost the Chronicle’s credibility—an aspect which is downright crucial in the media business. It is the cornerstone for print, television, or print news agencies. As we have seen in this presidential election, several legacy news media have reported steep declines in viewership and readership levels.
Fortunately, the Chronicle has from Day 1 made it a point to provide fair, accurate, and unbiased reporting. Our job is to present you, the reader, with facts and let you make up your own mind. The Chronicle’s mission as a news source is to inform our readers—not to elect politicians, push for tax cuts, or advocate for reforms.
We realize that credibility is hard-earned and yet easily lost. That is why our opinion columns are clearly labeled “Opinion.” That is why in the event of an error, we readily print an errata because we want to maintain the highest possible standards of integrity and professionalism.
To our valued readers, thank you for your continued support and for choosing to stay informed with our news. We deeply appreciate your taking the time to read our stories and to engage with important issues affecting Hawaii’s Filipino community.
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