ELDERLY PINOY DIES IN HAWAII INFERNO
AN elderly American citizen of Filipino descent was among the fatalities in the deadly wildfires that ripped through the Hawaiian coastal town of Lahaina, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed yesterday.
DFA Undersecretary Jose Eduardo de Vega identified the victim as 79-year-old Alfredo Galinato.
“The DFA confirms the death of a Filipino national in the Hawaii wildfires. He was a naturalized US citizen originally from Ilocos,” he said in a text message.
“The Philippine Consulate in Honolulu is assisting the family who are all based in Hawaii,” he added.
Citing the 2020 US state census, the DFA said there are about 388,000 individuals in Hawaii who identify themselves as Filipino or part-Filipino.
Of this number, about 200,000 have parents who are both Filipinos but only 16 percent are Philippine passport holders.
As of Aug. 18, the death toll from the blaze has reached 111 people and is expected to climb as search operations continue. Philippine News Agency
