HAWAII State Legislature Representative FilAm Michael Magaoay is the chair of the Filipino Caucus.
Started in February 2007, the Filipino Caucus of the House of Representatives serves as the voice for Filipino communities throughout Hawaii.
The 17-member caucus is composed of Representatives who have met at least one of the following criteria: (1) should be of Filipino descent, (2) should have been born in the Philippines, or (3) should represent a district with a large Filipino population.
"This is your floor and the more you reach out, the more successful we can be," he said to the 17-member caucus. "We have to work cordially and set our priorities, because when we work together as one, we can really turn heads."
Magaoay represents District 46 that covers Kaena Point, Schofield, Mokuleia, Waialua, Haleiwa, Waimea, Pupukea, Sunset, Kahuku, Kunia Camp, Poamoho, Wheeler, and Laie.
Born in Waialua in Oahu, he grew up in Waialua, graduating Waialua High School in 1971.
A local product, he received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa on May 1976.
Magaoay has been a member of the Hawaii State House of Representatives since 2000.
Besides serving as the chair of the Filipino Caucus, he also chairs the Legislative Management committee and is a member of Energy & Environmental Protection, Finance, and Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs committees.
He is also a member of the Governor’s Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group and prevented the closing of Kahuku Hospital and Poamoho, according to reports."All that I have done has prepared me for this unique and special job," he wrote on his website. "I am committed to our children, our community, our kupuna and our way of life. I care about our future."
For the past two years, as chair of the Filipino caucus, Magaoay has been influential in passing several legislations that benefit Filipino residents in Hawaii.
The Filipino Caucus members advocated for Filipino World War II veterans to receive pension benefits, burial grants and to reunite veterans with their family.
The Filipino Caucus has not only worked with legislators in the state of Hawaii but also those in Washington and leaders of the Filipino-American community.
( Published on July 1, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B2 )
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