Gov. Linda Lingle will lead a large delegation of Hawai'i leaders to the Philippines next year as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the arrival of the first Filipinos to Hawai'i.

This will be the first trip to the Philippines for Lingle, who is honorary chairwoman of the Hawai'i Filipino Centennial Celebration.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is among those scheduled to meet with Lingle during the trip, which will take place Jan. 3-12. Others include Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Kristie A. Kenney, the nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.

Included on the itinerary are stops at Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Cebu and Pangasinan. Hawai'i has a sister-state/province agreement with each of the provinces.

Elias Baniga, chairman of the Hawai'i Filipino Centennial Celebration, said Lingle's presence will help foster relations between the state and the Philippines. He noted that a commission formed in the Philippines to commemorate the first Filipinos to travel to Hawai'i has a number of activities planned.

Baniga said during the stops at the sister-state/province regions and elsewhere, Lingle and the delegation will encourage Filipinos to come to Hawai'i for centennial-related activities here.

Dean Alegado, chairman of the Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, said the governor's presence raises the profile of the Hawai'i centennial efforts, while solidifying her own political ties to the local Filipino community.

More than 200 people are expected to make the trip. Among them are members of the centennial commission, the Hawai'i Filipino Chamber of Commerce, state lawmakers, Kaua'i County Mayor Bryan Baptiste, county council members and various state department heads.

Organizers said anyone interested in traveling with the group may call Noble Travel at (866) 244-4609.