Agnes Respicio Malate, was born in the Philippines and grew up in the heart of Waipahu and ‘Ewa Plantation Town. She is the director of the Health Careers Opportunity Program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Agnes serves on the board of The Legal Clinic, Ethnic Education Hawai‘i, and Friends of ’Imi Hoʻola.

Her work has focused on providing opportunities for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and others from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue a higher education and a career in health.

In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, she and a group of volunteers organized to address the disparate impact of COVID-19 on the Filipino community and currently serves as co-chair of FilCom CARES. Through her experience serving the community during the pandemic and being the patient advocate and interpreter for her parents, she appreciates how integral cultural and language are to health and wellbeing.