Laoag: A historic new chapter in the long-standing relationship between Hawaii and Ilocos Norte is taking shape in this city as the State of Hawaii opens its first foreign office outside the United States on Friday. During the soft opening and blessing of the State of Hawaii Office in the Philippines (SHOP) under the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos and other officials, including Benson Peralta, executive director of SHOP, and James Urbaniak, human resource officer of Hawaii Department of Education, shared their excitement on the new office as it aims to open new opportunities for Ilokanos across the Pacific.
According to Philippines News Agency, the office will serve as a venue for facilitating exchanges and coordination between Hawaii and Ilocos Norte, supporting initiatives in education, culture, tourism, trade, and other areas of mutual interest, as stated by Araneta-Marcos. For Ilocos Norte, the new office is more than an economic outpost. Hawaii has deep ties to the Ilocano community, with generations of Ilocanos having migrated to the islands and contributed to its economy and culture.
The sister-state relationship between Hawaii and Ilocos Norte, established more than two decades ago, provides the foundation for the expanded cooperation. The Laoag office is expected to make that relationship more concrete, creating a local channel through which businesses, government institutions, workers, and communities can connect with counterparts in Hawaii.
Following an official visit to Hawaii in May this year, the governor noted there is a high demand in Hawaii for the province's fresh and processed food products, including bagoong (fish sauce). The presence of a Hawaii office in Laoag is expected to make it easier for local micro, small, and medium enterprises to explore markets and establish commercial links.
For local entrepreneurs, this development could mean fewer barriers between a product made in Ilocos Norte and a potential customer thousands of kilometers away. The partnership also opens possibilities in investment, tourism, workforce development, education, innovation, and cultural exchange. For Hawaii, the Laoag presence provides a direct connection to one of the Philippine regions with which it has a particularly deep historical and cultural relationship.
