Three Filipinos in Netherlands receive royal honors for volunteer work

Three Filipino women in the Netherlands have been awarded royal honors for their immense contributions to the Dutch society, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

In a statement, the DFA said the “Koninklijke onderscheidingen” (royal honors) is a yearly tradition awarded by the monarch to deserving Dutch citizens and foreign nationals for their major contributions in the society.

“The DFA honors our modern-day heroes for their contributions in advancing the cause and interest of the Filipinos both in the Philippines and overseas, and for bringing honor and recognition to the country through excellence and distinction in the pursuit of their profession, noble service, and volunteer work,” the DFA said.

Cecilia Francisco-Lansang from Utrecht was conferred “Ridder van Oranje Nassau” (Knight of the Order of the House of Orange) for her work as a minister and the founding pastor of WORD International Ministries.

Photos: DFA

Lansang visited refugees through mission trips and continues to minister members of other churches, both Christian and other faiths. She served as a volunteer worker of Bayanihan Foundation for the last 20 years and helped organize a Seamen’s Ministry in 2010 where she visited and supported Filipino seafarers.

Lansang is also the European Coordinator of the Seeds of Hope Ministry, a feeding and education program ministering to the needs of poor children and their families in various areas in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Corazon van Campenhout-Alarcon from Schiedam and Avelina Rodriguez-Baxa from the Hague were both awarded the “Lid van Oranje Nassau” (Member of the Order of the House of Orange).

Alarcon was a volunteer in Kapisanan ng Sambayanang Pilipino in Utrecht and was also one of the founding members of Bayanihan Foundation in the Netherlands in 1992.

She was also one of the co-founders of the WORD International Ministries and worked in a home care for the elderly in Rotterdam until her retirement in 2005. She is currently involved in bible studies and church services.

Baxa, on the other hand, was recognized for providing counseling, practical support and training to Filipino migrant workers in the Netherlands, especially those living under very challenging circumstances.

She also supports 50 indigent children from a depressed barangay in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

Baxa was a board member of the Samahan ng mga Manggagawang Pilipino sa Netherlands and of the Stichting Kapatiran Nederland. She is currently the coordinator of the JILCW-Rotterdam.

Meanwhile, the DFA also extended its gratitude to Filipino health workers in the Netherlands for being at the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“The DFA also salutes and expresses its sincere thanks to our Filipino medical frontliners and health workers in the Netherlands for displaying heroic and humanitarian acts, and for their continuous sacrifice and service during this difficult time of pandemic” the agency said. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News