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Mission Statement

The mission of the Center for Philippine Studies is to fullfill the following:

1. To generate interest in the Philippines and its people as a field of study;
2. To promote and undertake teaching, research, library acquisition, and other academic activities related to the Philippines, Filipino Americans and Filipinos in the diaspora;
3. To maintain the Center's status as the foremost academic institution in the US for the comprehensive study of Philippine culture and society and Filipinos in America;
4. To support the recrruitment and mentoring of students of Filipino ancestry at the University of Hawai‘i;
5. To recognize and enhance the contributions of Filipinos to the history and development of Hawai‘i and the United States and the Philippines, thereby connecting the Center with institutions and organizations outside the university for visibility and impact;
6. To undertake community outreach activities in Hawai‘i, the United States and other countries having significant ties with the Philippines;
7. To establish and strengthen academic relations with partner institutions in the Philippines, and enhance academic exchanges with other international educational institutions;
8. To mobilize human and financial resources directed toward the advancement of Philippine studies, and
9. To maintain and enhance the reputation of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa as an international center for Philippine Studies.

The Center meets these objectives through regular courses in various departments, student advising and participation in extracurricular or cultural programs, library acquisition through the Asia Collection of Hamilton Library, networking with other university units or community colleges, community outreach activities, exchange activities with Philippine institutions, and a leadership role in international Philippine Studies.