[ OUR OPINION ]
THE steadfast spirit of Hawaii's Filipinos will be on ample display tomorrow when a community center in Waipahu is unveiled in grand ceremony. It is a tribute to the fellowship of business and political leaders, organizations and, most of all, ordinary citizens, determined to honor and nurture a proud heritage. Community center is
hallmark for isle Filipinos
THE ISSUEThe Filipino community celebrates the opening of a long-awaited center.
The Filipino Community Center, once a distant dream, arises from a number of failed attempts for a cultural focal point. The $14.2 million project, 10 years in the planning, is the fruitful result of resolute people seeking grants and donations, large and small, to build the 50,000-square-foot complex.
The center is more than a building for it will provide Waipahu and the community with a number of services as it moves toward self-sufficiency. Along with space for businesses, it will house a dental clinic and health facility, an enterprise training center, a thrift shop, a youth club to help teen-agers fight substance abuse, language and martial arts classes and recreational programs. Its facilities, including a banquet hall, also may help to revitalize the town center with festivals and other cultural events to attract residents and tourists.
It was through individual efforts of people like Nora Cabico, Nora Respicio and Fely Cristobal, who went door-to-door asking for donations, that made the center's establishment possible. Businessmen, like Eddie Flores Jr. and Roland Casamina, kept the fires burning while community leaders, like Roland and Edith Pascua, guided grass-roots efforts.
The Filipino community has a deep legacy in Hawaii. As did many ethnic groups, early Filipinos came here as plantation laborers. The U.S. acquisition of the Philippines in the late 1890s opened the door to immigration with the first arriving in 1906. At more than 275,000 strong today, they are among the fastest-growing ethnic group in the islands.
The center is a demonstration of their continuing contributions to Hawaii's multi-cultural community. As Flores put it, the center "is a symbol of our success."
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CONGRESS is nearing passage of legislation that would increase the security at the nation's seaports, but the funds provided for improvements are meager. While billions of dollars are being spent to beef up security at airports, the nation's 95,000 miles of shoreline remains vulnerable to terrorist attacks and needs further attention. Securing nation’s seaports
requires more funding
THE ISSUELegislation aimed at protecting the nation's seaports from terrorist attacks is nearing enactment by Congress.
The importance of maritime security is not being entirely overlooked. The Coast Guard and Customs Service have been designated to become part of the new Department of Homeland Security. Retired Coast Guard Adm. James M. Loy, an expert on maritime security, has been appointed to be chief operating officer of the new Transportation Security Administration.
The importance of maritime security should be obvious. Ports handle 95 percent of the volume of the nation's overseas trade. In Hawaii, 98 percent of consumer goods arrive by ship. Although most foreign shipments to Hawaii have entered the United States at West Coast ports, the Customs Service estimates that only 2 percent of shipping containers are inspected.
Most shippers have voluntarily transmitted cargo information to U.S. authorities before the cargo reaches port, and that practice would become mandatory under bills approved by both the House and Senate. Customs uses the information to single out cargo for inspection. The agency also has begun to use "e-seals" on cargo that sound an alarm if a container is opened.
The main problem with the legislation is inadequate funding. When the Department of Transportation invited ports to apply for security-improvement grants totaling $93 million that were authorized by Congress in December, it received requests amounting to $700 million. An anti-crime commission estimated before Sept. 11 that $2 billion was needed to secure ports.
The House bill would provide $225 million to ports for security improvements, while the Senate bill would give them $390 million, not including funds for hiring additional customs agents and buying screening equipment. Those amounts are a fraction of what is needed.
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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
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Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comMary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4790; mpoole@starbulletin.com
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