Department of Veterans Affairs participates in 13th Annual Festival of the Pacific

The Festival of the Pacific is a gathering of delegates from islands across the Pacific Ocean which happens every four years. It is a showcase of arts and culture, but it is also an opportunity for leaders to meet and discuss important issues that all Pacific Islanders are facing. 

“It’s nice to see everyone from the Pacific Islands come together like this,” said VAPIHCS Health Benefits Advisor Cassandra Piazza. “It’s also a great opportunity for us to learn about the cultures from islands all over the Pacific.” 

Among the participants in FestPac are the Compact of Free Association -or “COFA”- nations. Congress has recently granted the Veterans Health Administration authority to provide health care in the COFA nations, and VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS), the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) are all manning booths at the main location -which is at the Hawaii Convention Center- for the duration of the festival. This gives Veterans from the Pacific Islands an opportunity to talk to VA representatives and learn about what services and programs they may be entitled to. 

"We're excited to make VA services available at the 13th Annual Festival of the Pacific,” said VAPIHCS Outreach Coordinator Maurice Martin. “Veterans from many island nations are here, and we want them to know that they're not forgotten, no matter where they are in the Pacific."

The Festival of the Pacific is not a Veteran-focused event, so most delegates, participants, and attendees were not Veterans. However, the VA staff still saw 25 Veterans on the first day of the festival, and they will continue to provide a daily presence for anyone who wants to learn more about what VA has to offer. The VA booths are on the third floor of the Hawaii Convention Center near the coffee cart. 

“What I always hear is that it doesn’t matter if you only help one Veteran at an event,” said Legal Administration Specialist with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Michael Tolliver. “If we’re able to help one Veteran while we’re out here, then that makes a difference; it makes it all worth it.” 

The islands that came to participate this year include American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Rapa Nui, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and Taiwan. Of these, the VAPIHCS covers American Samoa, Guam, CNMI, and the Hawaiian Islands. However, Congress has recently authorized VAPIHCS to begin developing a plan to offer health services to the COFA nations, which include the Federated states of Micronesia (FSM), Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Therefore, many of the islands represented are -or soon will be- in the VAPIHCS coverage area. 

“Being here and seeing this rich and varied mix of cultures is humbling,” said VAPIHCS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Program Manager Dr. Paul Renigar. “I’m happy to see so many people here to celebrate their cultures. The more I learn, the more I realize that I have more to learn. The cultures of the Pacific Ocean are all so unique and interesting.”