Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be in Hawai'i on Sept. 16 to attend the unveiling of a historical marker commemorating the arrival of the first Filipino immigrants here, the Philippine Consul General's Office confirmed yesterday.

Philippine Consul Susie Natividad said the ceremony is tied to the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission and will be one of two public events scheduled for Arroyo's visit, which is expected to last no longer than 24 hours.

The other scheduled public event involves placing a memorial marker at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in honor of Filipino-American soldiers who fought during World War II, Natividad said.

Arroyo will return to the Philippines from Helsinki, Finland, where she will attend the sixth Asia-Europe meeting, ASEM 6, to discuss economic issues with international leaders.

Tentative plans also call for her to visit foreign leaders in a number of other cities, including Belgium and London, according to various Filipino media reports.