CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Derrick Cruz, a student at Kalihi-Uka Elementary School, held up a letter yesterday from Vernick Eldrine B. James of Ruiz Elementary School in llocos Norte, Philippines. State Rep. Dennis Arakaki personally exchanged the student letters.

Letters connect Philippine, Kalihi kids

Kalihi-Uka Elementary students write to pen pals in Ilocos Norte

Ten students at Kalihi-Uka Elementary School excitedly tore open the first letters from their sister school in the Philippines as their classmates peered over their shoulders to read along with them.

Rep. Dennis Arakaki hand-delivered the letters from Ruiz Elementary School in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, yesterday in the first exchange of a pen-pal relationship established in January.

Arakaki had accompanied a Hawaii delegation, led by Gov. Linda Lingle, earlier this year to mark the 100th anniversary of the Filipino immigration to Hawaii. Arakaki has been a regular supporter of Kalihi-Uka and other schools in his district, the 30th, in which 70 percent of the students are of Filipino ancestry.

He wanted to cement the sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the Philippines for educational purposes, as well as making it "a real sisterhood (in which there is) a connection between people," Arakaki said. By establishing "a dialogue and exchange" between young people, "it will make the relationship go beyond just a paper relationship," he said.

Back in December, the representative had asked the students at Kalihi-Uka and other schools in his district to write to their Filipino counterparts, and Arakaki delivered their letters during the January trip. The Filipino students were "even more thrilled" to get the letters than the kids at Kalihi-Uka yesterday, he said.

The fifth- and sixth-graders attending Ruiz Elementary School in the Philippines were the first to write back, addressing their 10 letters to specific students at Kalihi-Uka. The Filipino students shared tidbits about their families and relatives in Hawaii, Arakaki's visit in January and the 100th anniversary. They were eager to be friends and pen pals.

Mark Angelo wrote to Kalihi's Sonny Mathara that Arakaki was "very kind and jolly" and that the students welcomed him with special dancing and singing.

Mathara, who has "a little bit" of Filipino ancestry, was eager to write back and ask Angelo "what it looks like over there, what kind of food they eat, how is the school -- is it big or small?" he said. "I want to go one day; I've never been to the Philippines."

Robynne Guillermo received a letter from Shaina Jean Ganir, who talked about her twin sister and the rest of her family. Ganir also sent a photo of herself and twin Shaira Jane.

Guillermo said, "I really want to write back to her. She seems like a nice person, and I'm going to send my picture."

"My grandpa is from the Philippines. I've never been there, but I really want to go and see her. ... Maybe she could teach me some Filipino words. My grandpa uses Filipino words, and he laughs at me" because she does not understand him.

"He's going to say she's smarter than I am because she can speak two languages," Guillermo added.

The pen-pal exchange is another way to get the Kalihi kids to "appreciate what they have, especially if they've been born here," Arakaki said. "I'm hoping they can see how much they're blessed with and how they take those things for granted."

He told the students he was returning to the Philippines in May to open a medical and dental clinic for children who lived on the streets. He asked the Kalihi-Uka students to have their letters ready for him to take back with him by Saturday.

Arakaki said he invites other schools outside his district to participate in a pen-pal exchange, as there are three other provinces besides Ilocos Norte that would be interested. And he does not mind being a part-time postman, he said with a chuckle, "because it makes a bigger impact when they are personally delivered."