Center looks to be
a place of activity

» A center of their own
» Mabuhay Festival begins tomorrow
» Skeptics said it couldn't be done

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

Located near the defunct Oahu Sugar Mill and Hans L'Orange Park, the three-story Filipino Community Center is 50,000 square feet designed by architectural firm Wimberly Allison, Tong & Goo.

It will include a real estate office, insurance company and dental clinic. Spaces were leased to interested parties to help the center become self-sufficient.

A micro-enterprise training area will also be located at the center to help those interested in starting their own business. Students will run the nearby thrift shop.

A 5,700-square-foot banquet hall overlooking Pearl Harbor to be used for special events has since been booked for the rest of the year, said President Roland Casamina. Space also has been slated for a commercial kitchen.

A health facility, Kapiolani Health Care, and an office for the center's staff members are on the third floor.

Along with cultural and recreational activities to be held at the center, staff members plan to work with a Filipino-American youth club called Sariling Gawa to battle alcohol and substance abuse among Hawaii teens.

Filipino martial arts such as kali and escrima will be taught at the center along with classes for children in Tagalog as a second language.