by Katharina Beiersdoerfer
Six exceptional Filipinos based in the United Kingdom have been awarded the 2021 Presidential Award for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO) by the Commission on Overseas Filipinos (CFO).
The PAFIOO is a biennial search for overseas-based organizations or individuals who have dedicated their work serving Filipinos in the Philippines or abroad, or who have excelled in their field of work or profession. It was started by the late President Corazon C. Aquino in 1991 through Executive Order 498.
A total of 56 awardees have been honoured under four categories: Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL), Pamana ng Pilipino, Banaag, and Kaanib ng Bayan.
Batangas Association UK is one of the recipients of this year’s Lingkod Sa Kapwa Pilipino (Linkapil) Award for their outstanding contribution to progress and development in the Philippines. Founded in 1993, they have organised medical missions to remote areas of Batangas, distributed food during calamities and donated school desks and computers, among others.
For the Pamana ng Pilipino Award, Danilo M. Favor was recognised for his talent and industry and bringing honour to the Philippines. A nurse by profession, Favor is the first Filipino to hold elective office in the UK as town councillor for East Grinstead Town Council in West Sussex. In 2019 he made history again as the first Philippine-born town mayor elected in the UK.
For their exceptional contribution to improve the wellbeing of fellow overseas Filipinos in the UK, two organisations and two individuals will receive the Banaag award.
Igorot UK Charity is a registered charity made up of six groups aiming to promote and preserve the cultures and traditions of people from the Cordillera region. Founded in 1995, they have organised cultural events in London, fundraised for the needs of members and their families as well as donated books, medicines and clothing to needy communities in the Cordillera.
Meanwhile, London Filipino Centre CIC is a social enterprise dedicated to promoting the Filipino language and culture in the UK. They offer Filipino language classes to children and adults. They also offer translation and interpretation services.
Journalist Rose Cheryl Eclarinal–Murdock is the Europe, Middle East and Africa Bureau Chief for Philippine media company ABS-CBN News. For the last 13 years, she has covered Europe’s most significant events for ABS-CBN News, creating news magazine contents that won awards and recognitions.
Elija Paul G. Villanueva is another Banaag awardee. A professional photographer, Villanueva has provided photography trainings to Filipinos in the UK. He has also founded Yapak, an organisation for Filipino youth aiming to promote Philippine arts and culture.
There were also Filipino awardees from the Isle of Man and Ireland. The Filipino Association in the Isle of Man received the Linkapil Award for its charitable work in the Philippines.
Meanshile, Vanda Brady received the Banaag award for forming Filipino associations in Ireland.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, details of the award ceremonies will be made public at a later date.
About the author
Katharina is German, lives in Spain and studies Multimedia Journalism in the UK.
