Lara Domogma (right) is the president of the Bayanihan Club at KCC, and Rhea Aninag (left) is the secretary of the Bayanihan Club. Together with the rest of the club, Lara and Rhea strive to share Filipino culture and values with the rest of the school.

“Filipino culture has been a big part of me since I was growing up,” Lara said. “For every decision I make, Filipino culture has been part of it. For example, my parents treat me differently because they’re from the Philippines.”

“You know how there’s a lot of Filipino-Americans living in Hawai‘i and America? Well, a lot of them do not know their Filipino heritage,” Rhea said. “I want to bring that up to these students who may or may not know their heritage. With this club, we hope to help them gain more knowledge about Philippines’ history, values, and culture.”

Lara and Rhea have brought the Filipino community at KCC together by organizing events such as giving away free halo-halo, a Filipino dessert similar to shave ice, and a karaoke party.