Students and community workers share their experiences to preserve PCC’s lifelong culture
For 60 years, the Polynesian Cultural Center has been a living museum and a top tourist destination known for its diverse showcase of Polynesian cultures according to the PCC website. “Although the PCC’s grandeur, history and authenticity are definitely exciting, only a few visitors are aware of the work that goes behind the scenes,” said Joshua Garcia, the manager of the grounds and custodian for the PCC from El Salvador. A major part of preserving the PCC’s craft and culture and the key to the center’s ongoing success, he said, is the team of dedicated maintenance workers who work tirelessly to preserve the center in pristine condition.
Garcia said, “Part of preserving the center’s culture is to make sure to grow and take care of plants that are rich in Polynesian history. Aside from the regular cleaning we do around the center, we are also tasked with beautifying the center through basic gardening and taking care of each plant around the center.” Moreover, he said it is not just ensuring the cleanliness and maintenance of plants; it also involves sets of tasks from other maintenance departments to take care of buildings, designs and technical challenges.
Preserving cultural significance
Thummim Fay Dollete, a freshman majoring in biology from the Philippines, said, “Why I am working here is because of an interest I had when I was young that has carried over until now. Now that I am taking my talents to PCC, it is now my responsibility to use my inherited skills to take care of historical plants around the area.”
She said her responsibilities are different depending on which assignments they are assigned to. Right now, she said she is focused on weeding around native plants, tree trimming and pruning in every village around PCC. “Whenever we are assigned to make some changes around the native plants, we continue to learn. Since plants grow differently from others, it helps us to know what fits best to help them grow,” Dollete said.
According to the PCC’s website, the Center made changes in 2020 during the pandemic to prepare guests for its future reopening. Since PCC’s focus is to “share with the world the cultures and diversity... of the nations of Polynesia,” its aim was to replace common and non-native plants in the PCC with native alternatives from Polynesia. Moreover, the website says the propagation of plants has been happening until now to further continue the beautification of the Center.
Garcia said the combined efforts of service missionaries, community workers and students made it possible for the changes on the plantation to be successful. “Since the Center is made possible by the contributions of many people, past and present, our priority now is to do the same to further continue the culture we implement at work moving forward,” said Garcia.
Landscaping
According to the PCC’s website, the Center is home to a variety of plants that represent specific cultures. An example of this is having yellow lily plants in the Samoan Village, a patch of fern in the Aotearoa [New Zealand] Village, croton and tapioca in the Fijian Village and green ti and taro in the Hawaiian Village. Each plant is taken care of differently, and they are essential to the Center’s authenticity while also contributing to the visitor experience.
Denzel Lou Renz Tadeo, a freshman majoring in graphic design from the Philippines, said he enjoys doing this work in the morning. “Sometimes our jobs go unnoticed because we prepare the villages every morning right before the guests start coming in. Although it is tiring and hard work, we communicate with the guests and visitors by preparing each island in the Center for them,” Tadeo said.
Tadeo said their tasks vary depending on what they want to accomplish for the week. He said no matter how different each worker’s tasks are each day, they are to offer help to everyone they come into contact with. “That is the tradition we cherish in this Center; no matter how old or young you are in the Center, you contribute to its rich culture and history,” he said.
A tree trimmer and landscaper, Viliami Tuulangavalu from Kahuku, Hawaii, said, “Part of what I do is to assist everyone in each of the villages. Although I have a specific assignment each day, I lend a hand to each worker I come in contact with.” He said one of their tasks, besides beautifying the Center, is to offer each other in the community the Aloha Spirit as they go. He said it has been the PCC’s tradition that each worker needs that spirit so the visitors can feel it whenever they visit the Center.
Upholding the cultural significance
The PCC website says the landscape workers are guided by the traditional methods of experts in each of the plantations. Each village consists of managers who focus solely on the culture to preserve and portray a quick sneak peek of what their culture is and the plants around it.
Moreover, the website says maintenance workers are working diligently and observing local experts on how things are done around each plant and to let them know before they engage in cleaning, trimming and gardening plants.
“We are upholding its rich culture as we work closely with native that represent the countries of each plant in the Center,” Garcia said.
Garcia said it is more than just the cleaning and beautification, it is about bringing in the Spirit of Aloha through their tasks around the Center. “That is how we communicate and spread the aloha to the guests. We may not meet them while we are working, but through our jobs, together with all the other maintenance workers in PCC, we prepare the villages for them,” he said.