14 December 2005 – Consul General Ariel Y. Abadilla (left) welcomes guests that include Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano (3rd L),  Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, Mr. And Mrs. Elias Beniga,  Chair of the Centennial Committee in Hawaii, and Representative Lynn Finnegan during the commemorative gala dinner of the “Filipinos in Hawaii:  100 Years and Beyond” held on 10 December 2005 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  The celebration pays tribute to the first Filipino sakadas who came to Hawaii a century ago to work on the island’s sugar plantations.