Antonio Ramil

Antonio V. Ramil
Lawyer, Community Leader, Author
"Let's build each other up"

During the past 40 years, Tony has been active in
volunteer community service,

Maui Jaycees, March of Dimes, Boy Scouts, PTA-PTSA,
Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Maui Economic
Opportunity, Maui United Way, Community Work Day,
Bonsai Club, Sierra Club, Election Poll Official, Filipino
Community, Scholarships, Pageants, Barrio Fiesta, Rice
Festival, Preserving Our Recollections-Akaku Channel 55
tv, Cameron Center Board, Sariling Gawa, Operation
Manong, Hawaii Committee for the Humanities and
others.

A.V.Ramil has received numerous awards and
recognition, among them:

Distinguished Service Pin, March of
Dimes (1986)
Thomas Jefferson Award by Honolulu
Advertiser & American Institute of
Public Service (1989); GINTONG
PAMANA Leadership-Achievement
Award by the Maui Filipino Chamber
of Commerce (2003)

One of the 100 Outstanding Citizens
of Maui County (2005) by The Maui
News & Maui County Centennial Hui
in connection with the County’s
celebration of the centennial (100
years) establishment of county
government in Hawaii;

Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi LAE’ULA
Award by the Maui Historical Society
(2006)

Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC)
donor

PARENTS OF THE YEAR 2008 by
Philippine Cultural Foundation of
Hawaii

GOLDEN SAKADA Progress Award for
Lifetime Achievement by the United
Filipino Council of Hawaii (2009

Lector & Eucharistic Minister(& Luz)-
St. Theresa Church in Kihei, Maui for
33 years.

Authored and published “KALAI’AINA
COUNTY OF MAUI” (1984), the first
comprehensive political and social
history of Maui County. The book has

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been widely used as reference by news reporters, county officials, employees and researchers of Maui history. He
edited a book of Philippine proverbs entitled “GRAINS OF PALAY” and

“a new dictionary of names” entitled “NGALAN”, a pioneering work providing a source of children’s names that are
rooted in Philippine languages and dialects. The books are available for borrowing from the Hawaii State public library
system.

He writes a column and contributes articles for the FIL-AM OBSERVER, a Maui-based monthly publication, using the
pen name, Yungib A. V. Ramil.

In 1985, moved by a vision shared with other community leaders, Tony played a key role in the organization of BINHI
AT ANI, a 501©(3) non-profit, charitable corporation. He originated the name “Binhi At Ani”, Pilipino words, echoing
the universal precept, “You reap what you sow”. Since its organization, Binhi At Ani has been giving scholarship
awards to outstanding high school graduates and college students that have included non-Filipinos. In 2005, through
community effort and substantial support from the State of Hawaii and the County of Maui, the organization opened
its $2.5 million community center on Onehee Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732. Fundraising efforts, grants and donations
are needed for the second floor expansion.

In 1994, Tony was one of the charter members of the MAUI FILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. As the Chamber’s
first full-term President, he played a key role in laying the foundations of the organization; starting the signature
annual GINTONG PAMANA Leadership Achievement Awards and Scholarships.

A 1960 B.S.Foreign Service and 1965 graduate of the College of Law, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon
City, A.V.Ramil was a college scholar, recipient of the Justice George Malcolm and the President Manuel A. Roxas
scholarships; a consistent member of the honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Gamma Mu. A leading member of the
Alpha Phi Beta fraternity, Tony was elected to and served as councilor-at-large in the U.P.Student Council and was an
associate editor of the PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN, the weekly student newspaper. He was delegate to the YMCA-YWCA
& National Union of Students (NUS) annual conferences in Baguio City on December 1962-1964.

As an undergraduate student, Antonio became a cadet lieutenant colonel in the U.P.ROTC Cadet Corps. In
1958-1959, when he was a cadet captain and company commander, private JEJOMAR BINAY, now VICE-PRESIDENT of
the Philippines, was one of his cadets. He promoted Jojo (future lawyer & Marikina Mayor), to Sergeant.

Outstanding Jaycee of the Year presented by the Maui Jaycees (1973)

Western Round-Up Leader, Boy Scouts of America (1981)

Tony was one of the ten topnotchers, placing ninth,
among the successful Bar

examinees in 1965. He practiced law for five years
with Sycip, Salazar, Luna & Feliciano, the biggest
law firm in Makati at the time.

On Valentine’s day 1970, Tony immigrated to Hawaii
with his mother, Mercedes Baxa Velasco Ramil+, to
join his father, Eusebio Eda Ramil+, a 1946
“sakada” pineapple worker in Maunaloa, Molokai &
later, Kaluakoi golf maintenance worker.

He was legal assistant for Ueoka, Vail & Luna in
Wailuku, Maui. From 1974-1976, he studied at the
University of Hawaii Law School with future
Governor John Waihee, Abelina Madrid Shaw, and
the first graduates. In 1976, under new admission
rules adopted by the Hawaii State Supreme Court,
Attorney Ramil became the first graduate of a
foreign law school to pass the bar exams and
admitted to the practice of law in the State of
Hawaii. The Maui Filipino Community Council
honored Tony with a Testimonial Dinner at Maui
Beach Hotel. He was the first Ilokano and Tagalog
speaking “abogado” in Maui. Some Ilokana Nanas
call Luz “abogada” for helping (kokua) them.
Antonio has since been engaged in the private
practice of law, and has served as volunteer legal
advisor to many Filipino community organizations.

Antonio V. Ramil was born on November 13, 1940 in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Pilipinas. “Anton bonton kinagat ti kuton”,
teased by his childhood friends. Tony is a graduate of San Agustin Elementary School and the then Bacarra Provincial
High School (now Bacarra National Comprehensive High School). His maternal grandfather, Benito Velasco and his
paternal grandfather, Faustino Ramil, were also sakadas. They came to work in Hawaii’s sugar plantations around
1924+ and they returned to Bacarra after 3-5 years of work in Salinas, California.

Tony is married to the former, Luz Virginia Carino Lolarga Ligot Romero of

Quezon City & Laoag since 7-7-73. She is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s College, Siena College (high school 1963),
University of the East, Manila (B.A.English 1968), Maui Community College (A.A.1974) & took ELL (English Language
Learners) courses from University of Hawaii-Manoa, Maui Outreach. Luz is the niece of Redentor Romero+, the first
Filipino international symphony conductor,violinist and impresario. “Music is the language of the soul”. She used to
be the Ilokano/Tagalog School Home Assistant for the Department of Education-Maui District under Norma Barroga
(TOFA 2006) but due to budget cut, Luz is an educator at Baldwin High School, Courtesy Clerk at Foodland Kihei and
a Primerica leader (entrepreneur, working to win free trip to La Conquistador Hotel in Puerto Rico-Feb.2011. See you
at the top!). Luz can teach hula and hulacise during our breaks (I love you, aloha ia oe by Marlene Sai). They have 3
daughters, Iris Mercedes How is a 1999 University of Hawaii-Manoa Education graduate, married to Matthew How,
teachers in Arkansas, & have a 2-year old son, Kekoa Daniel How. Aimee Paz Ramil is a May 2000 Architecture
graduate of University of Virginia & works with Group 70 International, Honolulu. Audree Faith Simmons, is a UHM
Ethnic Studies graduate & works withTeam Praxis, a Honolulu medical billing company; married to Erik Kai Simmons,
a UHM Business graduate & works at Logos Bookstore.

Mahalo nui loa. Thank you very much. Maika’i. Excellent. Let’s build each other up. Saint Damien, pray for us.
Mabuhay and Aloha pumehana.

Paradise
Supermart
&
Maui Filipino
Chamber of
Commerce

Family

Jon, Simeon &
Dolly Ortal &
Imelda Anderson

Pinoy Power Team
KHPI
Emmie Ortega
Anderson

Anderson Ohana