Amata Speaks to Filipino Community in American Samoa for Philippines Independence Day Celebration
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata spoke to the Filipino Community in American Samoa at the invite of President Perpetua “Nemia” Aguirre at Lee Auditorium on June 15 in celebration of the 126th Philippines Independence Day (officially June 12). The celebration marks hard-won independence from Spain, a longtime world power of that era.
New slate of officers of the Filipino Community in American Samoa
“In celebrating independence from a European power, that is something the Philippines has in common with the United States and our own Fourth of July,” said Aumua Amata. “We celebrate with you, and support self-determination for people-groups and many island nations all over the world. As you well know from our American Samoa Flag Day, we love our celebrations here and like to put them front and center!”
The U.S. and Philippines are allies and have deep historical ties. Those U.S. ties officially became part of the history of both the Philippines and American Samoa just two years apart – in 1898 in the Philippines and in 1900 here in Tutuila.
“Even now, while we live in a world shaped in many ways by the colonial mindset of the past – the U.S. recognized the Philippines independence in 1946 – we also live in a world where some of those same great powers, especially the United States and Britain, have nobly put their all on the line in the past century for the cause of freedom worldwide, at great cost,” Amata said.
Philippines Independence Day
This year marks the 80th anniversary of all the major historical events of 1944 during World War Two. The U.S. suffered well over a million total military casualties in World War II, dead and wounded. The Philippines was a key and often terrible battleground in that great struggle for freedom, and the Philippines lost an estimated between 500,000 and a million combined civilians and soldiers.
“In Congress, a few years ago, we recognized the valor of those Filipino servicemen, who heroically fought side-by-side with the U.S. and allies against imperial Japan, with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor the U.S. Congress can give,” said Amata, who cosponsored that bill in the House.
In 2022, Congresswoman Amata visited the Philippines twice, as the leaders of two bipartisan congressional delegations, each with different focuses, requested her to accompany them: Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA).
Amata was part of the first U.S. congressional delegation to meet with then recently inaugurated President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., in the Philippines. They also met with Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana and the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to the Philippines, Heather Variava; visited Fort Magsaysay in Luzon and Zamboanga City in Mindanao; met with U.S. Director of the Asian Development Bank, Chantale Wong, to discuss the bank’s work for economic growth in the Philippines to uplift the people; met with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Enrique Manalo, and Secretary of Justice, Jesús Crispin Remulla. While there, the Members of Congress observed a Blue Ocean Initiative that works with USAID to recycle plastics and keep their rivers and shores cleaner.
“We also spoke with leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and our own U.S. service members who were there,” Amata continued. “While in the Philippines, I was delighted to see Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Tomio Nomura-Brown of Afono Village! He was there supporting the Commander of the 24th Special Operations Wing.”
The Philippines made these delegations very welcome, but the U.S. delegation also stressed US. support for a truly free press, human rights, and the need to reject politically-motivated imprisonment, as avoiding these mistakes of the past is best for the people of the Philippines and best for enduring U.S.-Philippines relations and preserving strong and growing ties.
“Every Pacific ally, especially the Philippines, is very important to the big picture of security, stability, food security, and freedom of trade and movement throughout the entire Pacific,” Amata said.
She also discussed health care, noting that islands often have similar challenges in delivering health care, from the Philippines to American Samoa.
“One of those recurring challenges is having enough nurses,” Amata said. “We offer a heartfelt welcome to the caring Filipino nurses who have joined our community to help fill that gap, and wish you happiness here in American Samoa!”
“In my own family, two of my brothers, Barrett and Alan, are married to my sisters-in-law Mercy Coleman and Josie Coleman, both of Filipino heritage,” she concluded. “I’ve also had wonderful Filipino-American interns and fellows do good work in my DC congressional office. I want to say how much we love and value our Filipino community here in American Samoa.”
###