HCR 71 Summary

• Requests the Department of Education to support a student exchange program between Hawaii public school students and students in Philippines provinces that have State-Province relationships with Hawaii (Cebu, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Pangasinan).

• Cites the Hawaii-Okinawa Student Exchange Program as a successful 14-year model demonstrating the benefits and cost-effectiveness of similar international student exchange initiatives.

• References strong interest from Philippine provincial governors in developing student exchange programs and the growing influence of Hawaii's Filipino community.

• Directs transmission of the concurrent resolution to the Governor, Superintendent of Education, Philippine provincial governors, and leaders of Filipino organizations in Hawaii.