The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) expressed gratitude to the late Queen Elizabeth II for recognizing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for a number of times.
In a statement on Saturday, the CBCP office said they are thankful for the acts of Queen Elizabeth II that helped uplift the spirit of OFWs in the United Kingdom (UK). This was visible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth had given various honors and awards to OFWs.
The most recent was to Filipino-British nurse May Parsons, who administered the world’s first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Queen Elizabeth II personally bestowed the prestigious Gold Cross medal to UK’s healthcare system National Health Service (NHS) including the Filipina nurse.
“Our medical service workers there are recognized with hard works, honesty and dedication, especially during this Covid-19,” CBCP-ECMI Vice Chairman Bishop Ruperto Santos said in a statement.
“Our OFWs, especially our medical service workers, are very stable, well respected and successful in the UK because of HM Queen Elizabeth II. She welcomed and accepted them with care, love, and maternal protection,” he added.
Apart from Parsons, Charito Romano, Minerva “Minnie” Klepacz, and Joy Ongcachuy also received an award from the Queen.
“She showed her maternal impartiality, affection, and religious fairness when she allowed our migrants to practice our Christian faith according to one’s preference and beliefs,” Santos said.
