The Supreme Council of the Order of the Knights of Rizal conferred the Distinguished Service Medal on ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐๐-๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, on Saturday, 4 October 2025, during the ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ held at Hotel Duo in Prague, Czechia.
The medal was presented by ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ ๐. ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, in the presence of distinguished leaders of the Order: ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ; ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ; and๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฑ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ข๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ, among other Regional and Chapter Commanders across Europe.
The ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ are conferred in ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ. They honour individuals who embody the ideals of Dr. Josรฉ Rizal through outstanding contributions to civic, cultural, and community advancement.
This recognition celebrates Sir Chrisโs unwavering ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ to upholding Rizalian ideals while fostering unity and camaraderie within the Filipino community in the Netherlands.
Under hisย leadership (2024โ2025), the Amsterdam Chapter has achieved remarkable milestones:
โ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐! โ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐โ โ a grand celebration of the 126th Philippine Independence Day at Amstelkerk featuring the UP Concert Chorus, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in The Hague. ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ฌรฉ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ with the Filipino community and special guest Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya. ๐
๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง in partnership with the Doctorโs van De Wereld, SantโEgidio Community, and Ayuda sa Amsterdam.๐
๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ in partnership with the Dutch Red Cross, SantโEgidio Community, and Ayuda sa Amsterdam. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก ๐จ๐ โ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆโ โ a monthly kamustahan over coffee to strengthen community ties, in collaboration with Ayuda sa Amsterdam and SantโEgidio Netherlands. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ to promote Rizalian values online. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ to encourage membership and spread Rizalian ideals. โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅโ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง โ inspiring others to join and live by the principles of Dr. Rizal.Each of these initiatives reflects the true spirit of๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ข๐ก๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ in action.
โTuwing babanggit natin na mahal natin ang Pilipinas, alalahanin natin ang sambayanang bumubuo nito. Alalahanin natin ang mga manggagawang Pilipino na nangingibang-bayan upang itaguyod ang kanilang pamilya sa Pilipinas. Let us continue to serve our country by serving its people, making their welfare the very core of our actions.โ
โ Sir Chris Sta Brigida-Kopp, KCR DSM
