Fil-Ams in Hawaii concerned over WPS issue

WAIPAHU, Honolulu – Filipinos in Hawaii are concerned over the growing tensions in the West Philippine Sea given the island state’s proximity to both the Philippines and China.

- IRIS GONZALES

Some are also worried about their families and friends in the Philippines, a government official said here.

Consul General Emil Fernandez said that Filipinos or those with Filipino ancestry in the island state have been monitoring developments back home.

“Yes, of course Filipinos here keep abreast of developments back home because they still have relatives and friends living there,” Fernandez told visiting Filipino journalists when asked if the WPS issue was a concern for Filipinos in Hawaii.

Hawaii, strategically located in the Pacific, is the seat of power of the United States Indo-Pacific command, its oldest and largest combatant command.

It’s also no stranger to wars with Japan’s 1941 historic attack on Pearl Harbor, located west of Honolulu, plunging the US into World War II.