History:
Sprawling over two acres by the old Oahu Sugar Mill on suburban Waipahu, the three-story Filipino Community Center covers 50,000 square feet of commercial spaces, a grand ballroom of Waikiki standards for community activities and social events and a courtyard decked with blooming roses, palms, umbrellas and rustic fountain. Adjacent to the Dona Consuelo Courtyard are the state-of-the-art technology center, hi-tech conference rooms with teleconference capabilities, the Wall of Donors and an art gallery. The villa tile roof building of Spanish architecture conjures up images of colonial Intramuros, the old Manila. The Spanish design blends well with the sugar mill plantation smoke stack. Arguably, it could be called the "queen" of Waipahu's 21st century renaissance. It is but fitting, after all it is the biggest Filipino Community Center outside of the Philippines and is architecturally designed to repeat the Filipino's penchant for Spanish inspired buildings. And although it is in every aspect Filipino, it is also multi-cultural in that the renters, guests and four caterers belong to different ethnic origins. It is a building built on Filipino pride and bayanihan spirit and yet still retains enough spirit of aloha to everyone who wants to work, rent, learn and enjoy the daily activities without regard to ethnicity.