New president ‘coming home’ to Filipino Community Center

Community leader Rose Churma has been elected as the new president of the Filipino Community Center.

"It’s like coming home," said Churma, 60, who served as interim executive director when she oversaw construction of the center that opened in June 2001. "I’ve been away for 11 years."

Churma succeeds Geminiano "Toy" Arre, who resigned in December after seven years and is credited with instituting multiple programs for youth and seniors.

Churma, an architect, said she wants to see more activity and attract more youth to the center. She said she is looking forward to finishing what she started when she served as interim executive director.

"The building needs more improvement, more exhibition spaces," she said, adding that she plans to maximize use of the space to generate more revenue for the center. "It will take the whole community to make this happen," she said.

Churma also looks forward to reconnecting with people who provided mass support during the development of the center.

For the past 18 months, Churma has been working as a contract administrator with the construction management branch of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. She has helped oversee repairs and maintenance of public housing complexes statewide. Churma will leave her position with the state before she starts her new role at the FilCom Center later this month.

Churma graduated with a degree in architecture from Saint Louis University in Baguio City. She moved to Hawaii from the Philippines in 1976. Churma lives in Kaneohe with her husband, Thomas, daughter Grace and two grandchildren, Isaiah and Makana.

Eddie Flores Jr., who co-founded the FilCom Center, said he’s glad Churma was selected to head it. While the community recognizes Flores and Roland Casamina as the center’s co-founders, Flores pointed out Churma as the third co-founder.

"Very few people give her credit," he said. "She is very dedicated."

Casamina, head of the executive search committee, said, "She will continue to reignite the Filipino community."

The FilCom Center celebrates its 10th anniversary in June. Churma said they plan to celebrate the anniversary in October to coincide with Filipino-American History Month.