As Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest on Monday, 19 September, Filipino nurses paid tribute to her “selfless service” as they expressed their gratefulness to a nation that has given them employment opportunities. The late monarch was buried alongside her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
“We’ve lost our Queen but we also celebrate the tremendous things she has done for us,” said May Parsons, the Filipino nurse who administered the world’s first Covid vaccine outside of clinical trials in December 2020.
Ms Parsons was invited to join in the funeral procession with the Queen’s coffin on Monday. She is a modern matron at the University Hospitals in Coventry.
She met the Queen in person in July to receive the George Cross medal in behalf of the NHS for their exceptional efforts during the Covid pandemic.
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Parsons recalled the Queen’s warmth during their short meeting. “To be welcomed by Her Majesty the Queen in her home and how she made us feel, it’s something that I will never ever forget.”
There are 25,423 Filipino nurses working in NHS England alone, making them them the third biggest ethnic group working in the health service. In January, they were finally given their separate ethnic category in their electronic staff record.
Four Filipino nurses have been recognised by the late Queen for their exemplary work: May Parsons, Joy Montalba Ongcachuy, MInerva Klepacz, and Charito Romano.
Admiration for the Queen’s service
Headache and neuromodulation lead nurse Susie Lagrata spoke of her “profound feeling of loss” but also “a feeling of gratefulness to the Queen for her selfless service to the country that has been good to me and has given Filipino nurses many opportunities.”
Ms Lagrata is an advanced nurse practitioner at the University College London Hospital. She is also one of the officers of the Filipino Nurses Association UK.
On the Long Walk at Windsor Castle, retired nurses and friends Joy Collins and Catalina Segers joined thousands of mourners to bid the Queen their final farewell. Both residents of Redhill in Surrey, they left at 5 on Monday morning and travelled by train to Windsor.
“We love the Queen and the Royal Family. When Princess Diana died, we also went to Westminster,” said Ms Segers, who has been in the UK for nearly 30 years.
Ms. Collins said, “The Queen is a great supporter of charities. She’s always smiling and a great grandma.” She has previously been to Westminster Hall, queuing for 15 hours on Thursday to see the Queen lying in state.
“The passion and dedication Her Majesty the Queen has shown us is something that community leaders like us should emulate and take inspiration from,” said Michael Duque, founder of Philippine Nurses Association UK and a nurse consultant.
For Francis Fernando, “It will take some time before we can all recover from our loss as a nation. But the Queen lived a good life and had diligently performed her royal duties even when she was not well. Hopefully King Charles III can at least live up to half of her legacy.”
Mr Fernando is associate director for nursing at the North East London NHS Foundation Trust and founding director of the Filipino Nurses Association UK.
Top photo credit: Royal Family website
