The Filipino Federation of America
The Filipino Federation of America
By Master Carlton Kramer
Today, one of the main missions of the trustees of the Filipino Federation of America is to oversee the Moncado Church in Kahili Valley and its real estate holdings.
The Filipino Federation of America was originally formed to:
- To uphold the Constitution of the United States.
- To promote friendly relations between the Philippines and the United States
- To develop true Christian Fellowship
- To show the real humanitarian spirit by offering their moral, spiritual and natural aid and protection to their fellow beings, most especially to the members of the Federation.
- To advance the moral, and social conduct of each member
- To foster the educational advancement of each member
- To respect the Superiors and office holders of the Federation
- To service in any advancement capacity for the Filipino Federation of America
- To be loyal to the constitution of the Federation
- To work for a fair and truthful understanding in the relationship of the United States and the Philippine Islands.
I will never forget the today I went in front of the members of the Moncado church to ask for their vote to become an outside trustee of the Filipino Federation of America. (There are two non church member trustees required in the trust). One Moncado member questioned if I should even be considered for the position. Another old time member stood up and disagreed said, “Let’s give this haole a chance. He wants to help us, after all he is one of Braulio Pedoy’s Escrima Instuctors and we all know what a great man he was.” When the vote happened, I was elected as an outside trustee.
I will also never forget a big pure Hawaiian lady that came up to me in an annual Moncado membership meeting a few years ago. She told me that she knows who I am even though we never meet, she said, “You are the caretaking of the church aren’t you?” At the time, I never considered myself that, but I quickly acknowledged she was correct.
She then gave me a long lecture on the land under the Moncado church. She claimed that Master Moncado bought this land for his church because the Hawaiians considered it sacred land. She went on to explain how he and his followers at one time owned all the land in the entire street and it was called Moncado Village. The two houses in the front of the street are where the Moncado bachelors use to live.
Master Chiefs Gary & Leslie Largo’s parents were Moncado followers and use to bring them to church. After the service, The GGM, The Baktian, Gary and Leslie would go to the courtyard between these two front houses and watch the Escrimadors practice. Leslie mentioned to me that even though all the Escrimadors had different styles, they all had one thing in common which was their fluidity in movements. He was always impressed how these little old men could move so fluidly and that their movements were so low.
About 4 years ago, the great grand daughter of Master Moncado, Odette returned to Hawaii and took over the church. Under her leadership the church as rebounded and the church and its grounds are in great shape. Recently she decided to change the name of the church from the Church of Guadalupe to the “Center of Light Ministries.”, but the old timers still refer to it as its original name, the Moncado Church.