STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1531

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   H.C.R. No. 177

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 177 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE THE SISTER-STATE APPLICATION AND, UPON APPROVAL, PROCEED WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SISTER-PROVINCE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF HAWAII AND THE PROVINCE OF AKLAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to promote the relationship between Hawaii and the Philippine province of Aklan by requesting the Hawaii Sister-state Committee to:

 

     (1)  Evaluate the sister-state application of the Province of Aklan of the Republic of the Philippines; and

 

     (2)  Upon approval of the application, proceed with the establishment of a sister-province relationship between the State of Hawaii and the Province of Aklan for the economic, social, cultural, educational, and environmental benefit of the people of both places.

 

     The Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in Honolulu; The Filipino Community Center, Inc.; Aklan State University; Congress of Visayan Organizations; Aklan Cultural Society of Hawaii; and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and a concerned individual supported the intent of the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 177 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair