Medal of Independence of First Order
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awards a Medal of Independence of the First Order to Republic of the Philippines Ambassador Hjayceelyn M. Quintana. The medal was awarded in appreciation of her efforts during her tenure in the United Arab Emirates, which resulted to the development of bilateral ties in various fields.
The medal was presented by Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State, to Ambassador Quintana during a reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Read more on Ambassador Quintana’s Award here.
George Cross Awardee
May Parsons, the Filipino nurse who delivered the first coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination in the world, was awarded with the prestigious George Cross Award by Queen Elizabeth II of England.
The George Cross, given at Windsor Castle on July 12, was instituted to recognize “acts of the greatest heroism or the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger.”
Parsons, a Modern Matron for Respiratory Services at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust, administered the first Covid-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials to Maggie Keenan on Dec. 8, 2020.
Triple treat
Olympian Hidilyn Diaz fas finally done it! Diaz took home three gold medals in the IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota.
“Finally, I win at the World Championships. I’m so happy with that,” said Diaz whose diligent preparation for worlds paid off. It was her last major competition in the 55kg category as that weight class has been dropped for Paris 2024 where she plans to move up to 59kg in what would be her fifth and final Olympic Games.
Proud Batangueña
UAE-based Filipina business leader Dr. Karen Remo, who hails from Batangas, has been conferred with a special award by the CALABARZON Regional Development Council (RDC) under the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) – the premier socioeconomic planning body of the Philippine government – for her exemplary accomplishments and excellence that bring honor and contribute to the development of the region.
The award for Dr. Remo, CEO and Founder of The Filipino Times and New Perspective Media (NPM) Group, serves as a reciprocal recognition, which merits her Presidential Award (under the “Pamana ng Pilipino Award” category), the highest honor bestowed by the Philippine government on Filipinos overseas, last June 2022.
First Filipino Diver to explore the 1000 cave island
Filipino diver Raynold Dee M. Herbito, from Lugait, Misamis Oriental is the first Pinoy to have explored Buton Tengah Sulawesi Tenggara also known as 1000 cave Island in Indonesia, according to local Cave diving logistics operator, Rock and Roll. To reach the cave, the divers took two flights from the city of Jakarta.
Raynold, 36-years-old, has been diving for 15 years. He is a freelance dive instructor and teaches scuba diving in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The boy who caught the Crown Prince’s attention
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, shared on his instagram reel a viral video of a four-year-old Filipino boy singing Bee Gee’s ‘How Deep is your love’ on Saturday, August 6.
The talented child who caught Sheikh Hamdan’s attention is Kael Gabriel S. Lim from Metro Manila, Philippines.
Manel Carla Lim, Kael’s mother said in an interview with The Filipino Times that she could not believe that her son’s video would catch the attention of a royalty.
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Pinay barbie doll
Who would forget about the grandmother of Filipina-American Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz who could not hold back her tears after seeing Barbie doll of her grand daughter for the first time in person last Tuesday, July 5 at Aria resort in Las Vegas, NV.
In an instagram post of Dr. Cruz, she shared a heart-warming video of her grandma sobbing while looking at a display of the doll made after the image of Cruz. She also shared the story of how her grandma inspired her to reach for her dreams.
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Nanny turned author
A 51-year-old Filipina who hails from Cebu City serves as a living proof that regardless of your social status or current life circumstances, you can achieve your dreams.
Working as a household help in Dubai since 2017, Ester Vargas-Castillo found solace in writing poems and volunteering as a soprano singer for the Filipino Social Club (FilSoc) Chorale. Dubbed as a ‘Biriterang Makata’ which translates to ‘Diva Poet’, Ester has compiled her literary works and published it as a book. She has recently been part of an initiative wherein copies of her books were gifted to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library (MBRL).
Pinoy multi-millionaire
45-year-old Nelson who hails from Metro Manila took home the jackpot prize in Mahzooz E-wing’a weekly draw last August 6. He split the 10 million dirhams prize with an Indian expat.
He took home approximately 76 million pesos which he considers as his birthday gift. He won the multi-million prize a few days before his birthday. Nelson is an OFW who works as a machine operator in a wet wipes company in Dubai. His life changed overnight after using his children’s birth dates as his numbers for the draw.
