MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has renewed his promise of supporting healthcare workers as he honored Charito Leonardo-Romano, the Filipino nurse the United Kingdom awarded for her work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Marcos said this as he met Romano in Malacañang on Tuesday, August 2.
In a tweet, the President said he could not pass on the opportunity to meet Romano while she was in the Philippines, saying she inspires the government to work harder.
“Inspirasyon natin ang ating mga kababayang pinakikilala sa mundo ang galing at malasakit ng Pinoy (We are inspired by our fellow Filipino who introduce our abilities to the rest of the world)!” he wrote.
“Kaya naman hindi natin pinalampas ang pagkakataong parangalan si Ms. Charito Leonardo-Romano na ginawaran ng Order of the British Empire Medal sa 2021 New Year’s Honour List ni Queen Elizabeth II (That’s why we made sure to honor Romano who received the Order of the British Empire Medal in Queen Elizabeth II’s 2021 New Year’s Honour List),” he added.
Marcos said he was thankful for Romano’s work and reassured his support for Filipino health workers.
“Nagpasalamat tayo sa kanyang mga kontribusyon at siniguro ang tuloy-tuloy na suporta para sa mga health care workers sa ating Inang Bayan at sa ibang bansa (We thank her for her contributions and we ensure our continuous support for health workers here and abroad),” he added.
Romano is a staff nurse at Arbrook House Care Home, a private care home in Esher, Surrey.
She is one of the two Filipino recipients of the prestigious British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2021, bestowed by the late Queen Elizabeth II for their commendable and courageous work in the UK during the pandemic. The other was Xyza Aura Macutay-Malloch.
The two Filipino nurses were invited to the coronation of King Charles III in May. (MB)
