An accomplished, Admirable and Altruistic Woman
Armi Oliver Farinas: Mrs. Hawaii Filipina 2006
By Imelda Fines Gasmen
For Armi Oliver Farinas, climbing fruit trees was her childhood passion: mango, guava, tamarind, you name it, she has climbed it. One of her most unforgettable experiences was climbing up a salamagi (tamarind) tree - just staying up at the top while enjoying the view of the ocean and dreaming all along what lies beyond. Aside from the amazing view, as most rural kids would indulge in, Farinas enjoyed eating the ripe delicious fruits up on the tree with bagoong. As a child, she had an odd way of sharing the bounty of nature -by throwing kalanakang (ripe fruits with brittle shells) to unsuspecting but grateful passers-by thinking they were just falling down from the tree.
That incredible passion to keep climbing and dreaming brought Farinas to new heights as she was crowned the new Centennial Mrs. Hawaii Filipina 2006 in April. Upon prodding of close friends for several years, Farinas finally agreed to participate in the scholarship pageant this year. She made a first in the history of this pageant, an annual project of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii (UFCH) having made more than $130,000 with the bulk going to scholarship grants. To her, the pageant is more than just a Filipino tradition of showcasing beauty and talent; it is a significant event with a cause.
Advocate for education
"I am pro-education," says Farinas with a sense of commitment, adding that with her title, she wants to serve as a role model in advocating education. "I love helping people and this scholarship pageant is one way to help people achieve better education," she adds. To Farinas, she'll do anything to advocate for higher education especially after being discriminated against when she first arrived in Hawaii and tried to apply for a job. A consistent academic scholar and a cum laude graduate in Business Administration from Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in the Philippines, Farinas was rejected at first in her job applications and was told that "her degree does not mean anything in Hawaii."
Emotionally hurt but not discouraged, Farinas was challenged and pursued a master's degree in Business Administration, full time, from Hawaii Pacific University. Amazingly, she graduated with distinction in 1994 while working full-time and building a family of her own. "This was my best accomplishment - to be able to juggle and balance all these things," she shares and credits this feat to her methodological approach to life along with skillful time management.
No. 1 Top Producer for 2005 in Real Estate
"I am a very gutsy and determined person," is how Farinas describes herself. That guts and determination perhaps paved the way for another achievement as she was awarded the No. 1 Top Producer for 2005 for Meridian Properties which she considers her biggest accomplishment in real estate having sold close to $20 million in gross real estate sales, excluding over $10 million in loans. Farinas currently works full-time as a realtor associate with Meridian, however, she still finds time to hone her skills as a "budding" real estate investor, a financial consultant, and a finance mortgage specialist.
Previous to her switch to the real estate business, Farinas worked as a senior accountant for Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., XPEDX, an International Paper Company and Y. Hata & Company.
In the Philippines, Farinas worked in Makati, considered as the country's business district capital as executive secretary to prominent Filipino magnate Jose Mari Delgado of Delex International, a trading business and a bookkeeper of a German company called Bafag (Phils.), Inc.
Farinas attributes her remarkable achievements by working hard with lots of late nights up to two o'clock in the morning almost seven days a week. Along with hard work, Farinas strongly believes in, and applies the principle that "no one should be enriched or benefited at the expense of others" which simply means not taking advantage of people. "I am fair all the way in my business transactions," she explains.
"And when I have, I love to share and I believe that what you do to others will come back to you in mysterious ways," says Farinas, adding that "God helps in a variety of ways."
Family roots
The youngest of 12 children of Primitivo Blancas Oliver and Maria Alvarez Oliver, Farinas grew up in Namalpalan, an idyllic laid-back barrio in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur in northern Philippines. "It was difficult growing up as the youngest since you have to be a star all the time," remembers Farinas.
Farinas takes pride in sharing that most of her siblings are educated, except 2, and have made successful careers. Her brood includes an assistant superintendent, (Dr. Estrella Oliver Soria), a school principal, head teachers, lieutenant colonel, agriculturist and mathematician. She adds that "my parents were not educated but were very smart and they instilled in us values that brought us to where we are today." The strategy for their family's success is helping one another: after one sibling finishes school, he/she helps the next sibling.
"I keep very close ties to the Philippines," says Farinas. She goes back with her family at least once a year to visit her mother and siblings. In fact, she calls "home" (in Magsingal) almost everyday.
The magical wink: the passport to Hawaii
"It was that naughty wink that probably brought me to Hawaii," recalls Farinas. Born in Narvacan but raised in Samar and Hawaii, Nestor Caballes Farinas saw Armi in a wedding reception video in 1988 and got interested in the girl that winked. Of course, it was not just the wink as Armi exudes a striking beauty and personality. That interest became intense and serious as he pursued Armi right away-visited her in the Philippines and about a couple of months later, the two got married. In 1989, Armi then moved to Hawaii.
The couple is now blessed with three boys: Victor John, 12; Christian James, 8; and Marvin Joseph, 3. Farinas shares, "my family, especially the boys are my inspiration." According to Armi, Nestor is a very loving and supportive husband. He is "in-charge" of maintaining their growing real estate properties in Hawaii and California. The four properties they originally own when Farinas started in real estate have now expanded to almost a dozen.
"If you have, you should share"
"I feel so blessed that I now have the power to donate money to make a difference in people's lives," says Farinas. She recently gave considerable amount of money to build a primary school in her barrio and brothers' houses, and to save her niece's life. "If you have, you should share," is what guides Farinas in her daily life. She is also supporting her nephews and nieces in the Philippines in their college education.
As a realtor, she shares a lot to her clients. She not only sells houses but also helps make dreams come true: owning a house. A very giving person, she offers gifts such as an appliance or money to help families start a new life in their new homes. She also has assisted other people make a mark in the real estate business.
Last Christmas, she was in the Philippines and shared her blessings with many people by giving everyone in the barrio a small gift but made everyone very happy and grateful.
Filipino centennial year]
"I feel elated to be the Mrs. Hawaii Filipina in 2006 which is a very significant year for Filipinos," shares Farinas. She adds that, "it is an honor to hold this title during the year that we remember and recognize the 100 years of hard work and achievement of Filipinos in Hawaii as initiated by the sakadas in 1906."
As the new Mrs. Hawaii Filipina, she still feels the same person but now her busy schedule has to fit in attending at least once a week functions. She has been participating Filipino centennial events all over the islands including parades and fiestas. Farinas still finds time getting involved with community organizations including UFCH, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Magsingal Association of Hawaii Scholarship Program.
Meeting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other dignitaries in the Philippines in 2007 will be the highlight of the final leg of Farinas' title. Also, in February 2007, she will be crowned in Laoag City, where she graduated from college, and where most of her supporters and friends come from.
To dream the not-so-impossible dream
An accomplished yet down-to-earth remarkable woman at 41, Farinas has not stopped dreaming and still determined to realize her dreams. When the tamarind tree she used to climb has fallen down and can no longer get a glimpse of the ocean, she made a promise to herself: a dream that one day, she would build a house that would overlook the ocean. And she did just that! Her house in the Philippines is being built with that ocean view.
A bigger dream is to build a hotel that again would overlook the ocean and at the same time, provide job opportunities to many people. She already has purchased the lot for this grand project in Bantay, Ilocos Sur, next to historic Vigan City and just minutes away from her hometown - and the building of the hotel will hopefully soon take place.
Guided by an altruistic heart and a sharp mind, the new Mrs. Hawaii Filipina Armi Oliver Farinas is indeed an inspiration that dreams do come true if one will make it happen with hard work, guts and determination. To realize dreams and overcome hurdles, she shares her favorite adage that "A man cannot discover a new ocean unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore."
Fil-Am Courier
Honolulu, Hawaii
September 1-15, 2006 Issue
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