10/25/2025
Aloha kākou + Kumusta,
We want to shed light and keep our community updated about what is happening with the Moncado Foundation of America Church located at 1776 Kalaepāa Drive in the back of Kalihi Valley.
For those who may not know the history — Hilario Camino Moncado founded Moncado Village here, a community rooted in mutual aid, cultural practice, and shared land stewardship. His descendants and families of Kalaepāa have long considered this space sacred and historically important.
In 2008, Odette Carrasquillo, the granddaughter of Hilario Moncado, began the process of preserving the church and village as a recognized Historic Site. She hired an architect and historian, gathered documentation, and began working toward a grant to create a KUPUNA CENTER on the property to care for our elders and restore the grounds.
Around 2015, a husband and wife duo offered to assist with the preservation process. According to DCCA filings, Odette’s name and information were hand crossed out and replaced with their names, and they assumed themselves as board directors — although they are NOT descendants of Hilario Moncado and did not reside in the village or on the street. (these documents are public on the Hawaii DCCA website)
Since that time, the church and property have been under their control. The land became overgrown for years until the City intervened. The historic signage has been removed from the curb and the church itself. The building is visibly deteriorating — the bathroom has been out of order for years, the foundation and interior are suffering, and the space has not been accessible to the living descendants of Moncado Village who have generational ties to this land. The church has instead been used privately for small martial arts gatherings.
We want to be very clear:
This is not about blame.
This is about preservation, heritage, and restoring dignity and access to the families and descendants connected to this place.
This site was built for the community.
It was preserved for the community.
And we believe it should return to the community.
We are currently:
✅ Filing review requests with Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation
✅ Requesting site assessment from State Historic Preservation (SHPD)
✅ Notifying Kalihi Neighborhood Board
✅ Communicating with Civil Beat for transparency
We will keep everyone updated as this process moves forward.
If you are a descendant, neighbor, historian, or supporter — please comment below or DM to stay involved.
It’s time to restore, repair, and reopen this historic space for the living descendants, the kūpuna, the keiki, and the future of our valley.
see current google footage of Moncado sign and historic sign removed.
1776 Kalaepāa Drive
Kalihi Valley — Moncado Village
Moncado Descedants.
We are still here.
And we remember.
