Release Date: October 1, 2025

Contact: Dr. Jeanne Batallones, Event Chair, 808-934-2558

Filipino Community Celebrates Filipino History in Hawaiʻi at Hilo Barrio Fiesta 

Hilo, HI — The Hawaiʻi Association for Filipino Educators (HAFE), in collaboration with the Samahang Club of Hawaiʻi Community College, the Bayanihan Club and The Filipino Studies Certificate Program of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UHH) present the Hilo Barrio Fiesta at UH Hilo's Campus Center Plaza on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10:00am-2:00pm. The Hilo Barrio Fiesta is a community celebration in commemoration of October's  Filipino American History Month (FAHM). The event will feature Filipino food trucks, music and cultural performances, family-friendly children's games, art exhibit, karaoke  and balut eating contest, and activities that promote Filipino history in Hawaiʻi. 

In 2009, Congress declared October as Filipino American History Month (FAHM), commemorating the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States on October 18, 1587. Filipinos are the second largest ethnic group in Hawaiʻi and the last immigrant group to be brought to Hawaiʻi as plantation laborers, also known as sakadas.

"The Filipino people have made significant contributions to the abundant tapestry of Hawaiʻi's history, a legacy we must not only honor but actively keep alive through the vibrant transmission of our culture to future generations, creating in them a profound pride in their heritage," says Jofaira Manarpiis, President of the Samahang Club of Hawaiʻi Community College. "We extend a heartfelt invitation to all to join us in this meaningful celebration."