When Roland Casamina walks into the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu, he sees a dream that came true.
"Each time I go there, I still have the same feeling when we had the grand opening 10 years ago," said Casamina, a key figure in the development of the center. "I literally have goosebumps. … It’s truly a community effort."
More than 500 people gathered at the FilCom Center on Friday to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Attendees included Gov. Neil Abercrombie, former Gov. Ben Cayetano and area lawmakers. Also present were Filipino community leaders including Casamina, Eddie Flores Jr. and Rose Churma, who led efforts to rally the community and realize the dream of having a center to symbolize the arrival of Filipinos.
Dedicated volunteers went door to door collecting donations. Notable foundations made substantial gifts, as well as Amfac, which donated two acres of sugar mill land valued at $3 million for the center.
Many of Friday’s attendees dressed in formal, traditional Filipino attire — bright-colored beaded dresses and white embroidered dress shirts — as they celebrated the milestone with dance, music and food.
The FilCom Center is the largest in the United States. And as the fastest-growing ethnic group, the Filipino population has established political and economic clout in the state. They represent the largest Asian population in Hawaii, with an estimated 197,497 of Filipino descent.
Like Casamina, Flores said he is always moved when he visits the center. "Every time I enter the Filipino Community Center, I still think I’m in a dream land. I can’t believe it’s there. It’s a great accomplishment for Filipinos in Hawaii," he said. Flores, too, considers the center his biggest accomplishment so far.
"I would consider it bigger than the L&L chain," said Flores, president and chief executive officer of the L&L Drive-Inn chain, which has about 200 restaurants in Hawaii, the mainland, American Samoa, New Zealand and Japan.
Everything fell into place at that time, Flores said. It would be impossible to build it today with the state’s struggling economy. "We were just in the right place at the right time," he added.
With her architectural background, Churma was instrumental in the design and construction of the building.
"This is a major milestone," she said Friday.
The anniversary celebration also was a reunion of sorts for Churma, to reconnect with the center’s volunteers who were part of the effort since the beginning.
In the coming months, Churma said they will focus their efforts on fundraising to help pay off a $3 million construction loan. Donations also will go toward the ongoing maintenance of the three-story building on the corner of Waipahu and Mokuola streets.
The center recently received support from the state. In the past legislative session, lawmakers appropriated $450,000 to go toward a newphotovoltaic system for the center to help reduce electricity costs by 50 percent. The system is expected to be installed by the end of the year.
Churma said they also plan to develop more programs for children and adults as she wants the center to be used as intended, a gathering place.
Programs currently held at the facility include computer classes for adults and a licensure course for nursing students studying for the board exam.
Geminiano "Toy" Arre Jr., who served as the center’s president and chief executive office for seven years before retiring last year, recalled how detractors doubted the longevity of the facility. "Despite all the hardship, we’ve managed to survive," he said, noting his elation at the center reaching its 10th year.
Gracie Dowd of Aiea, who attended the event, said, "(The center) is a symbol of how tight-knit the Filipino community is to keep the community center up and running."
Raul Catangui, standing in the courtyard among hundreds of others, said the center galvanized the community. "This is a sense of pride," he said.
