Women lead Hawaii Filipino community’s fight against Covid

Clementina Ceria-Ulep (left) and Agnes Malate, health care educators from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, joined forces with longtime Filipino community activist Amy Agbayani and organized a group of volunteers that led to FilCom Cares. SCREENSHOT KITV

When Hawaii’s Department of Health reported that Filipinos were the second hardest hit ethnic group in the state, three women went into action.

Clementina Ceria-Ulep and Agnes Malate, health care educators from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, joined forces with longtime Filipino community activist Amy Agbayani and organized a group of volunteers to fight Covid’s spread in the Filipino community.

“When we saw that the mortality, it’s like, one out of four, you know, it was Filipinos, then that data really hit home,” Malate told KITV News. They could not see any “collaborative response” yet, so they got the ball rolling, she added.

With the help of Legal Clinic last September, they acquired CARES Act funding for Covid testing, education and outreach. The Filipino Community Center’s  FilCom Cares was born.

With the help of Legal Clinic, volunteers got CARES Act funding for Covid testing, education and outreach, leading to the Filipino Community Center’s  FilCom Cares. WEBSITE

To get more access to the vaccine, the group works with the Department of Health and nonprofits like the Oahu Council of Filipino Catholic Clubs to set up sites that are convenient and with people trusted by the community.

Malate says it’s a glimpse into how Filipinos can work together to overcome crisis.

“Although we are a large percentage of the population, oftentimes, our voices are not heard, we’re not represented. We deserve to have the best if there is available. . If we’re not going to stand up for ourselves, who will? We have to,” Malate told KITV.

FilCom Cares’ vaccination clinics are free and open to anyone. The next one at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu this Thursday, July 29, from 9am-1pm.  Walk ins are welcome. Click here for the latest schedule of clinics.