My name is ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐. As a British-born Filipino who has lived half his life in the UK and the other half in The Netherlands, it is a profound ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ซ to be inducted as a Knight of Rizal.
๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ฌรฉ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ is an enduring inspiration. He represents so much of what it means for me to be a proud Filipino, more importantly, he represents the importance of living a life of ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐, ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ that inspires others to follow in his core teachings.
๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ’๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐
Rizal’s legacy is a profound framework for personal and national development. His core tenetsโ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ for the greater goodโare the compass for my life.
He championed the Filipinos’ right to ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, a strong national identity, and a just society through the advancement of ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ and ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐.
๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐
Rizal believed that ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ฒ to national liberation, encouraging Filipinos to pursue knowledge and critical thinking. He stressed the importance of learning, both for oneself and for the people, to overcome ignorance and oppression.
My ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง starts with a personal desire for growth and developmentโthrough counselling, life coaching and career changes. I have a deep desire to learn and expand my personal skill set, knowing it’s the only thing in life I have complete influence over. By striving to be the best version of myself and believing that my life has purpose, I am ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ in the charity, foundation and outreach work I do in the communities, particularly through ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐.
This commitment to education and empowerment is particularly pertinent, with regards to the institutional corruption probe currently happening in the Philippines. This situation is an opportunity for change. It is also a crucial reminder that ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ enable real change in society.
Similarly to Josรฉ Rizal, it is time for us to have the discipline, stand strong, work together, do the hard work and have the transparency in our endeavours as an example for others to follow suit. It is time to have the ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ out the establishment / persons when they are not prioritizing the Filipino people. If we all do thisโnot just for the greater good of the nation, but importantly for the people around usโ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐. ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐.
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐
Despite being born and raised in Europe, I have always had a strong sense of ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ and a fierce desire for its development.
This bond was forged early. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, my parents organised crucial fund raising events in London to distribute trucks of rice (and rosaries) in Pampanga. For over 20 years, my parents hosted a Sacred Heart Prayer group where we drove and prayed in different houses with statues every Sunday. Here, I learnt so much about how warm and loving Filipinos are, but also about the immense hard work and sacrifice Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) make to support (and leave) their families back home.
Consequently, even to this day, I seek that familiar โpinoy warmthโ in my daily life that connects us as Filipinos abroad. Just yesterday in IKEA I smiled and asked: โTita, Filipino ka po ba?โ We proceeded to have a lovely conversation. She was from Vigan. Tita then generously added extra salmon to my salad (โthe Pinoy perkโ). I do not take these simple connection pleasures and oxytocin hits for granted. They fill me with warmth and keep inspiring me to give unconditional love and support to my fellow Filipinos, to help them help themselves.
This is where my ๐๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ finds its action now:
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ for the pursuit of knowledge and personal development; through the distribution of laptops and school equipment to rural communities and minority groups.
๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ to help and elevate Filipinos and communities. Empowering people around me to be their best versions; through coaching and community work.
๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ (๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ) ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ for the LGBTQI+ / human rights of Filipinos through aid and access to education in the Philippines.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐: ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
I acknowledge my privileges as a European-born Filipinoโof the education I’ve been awarded and the resources I’ve acquired. But with this privilege, I have never forgotten my fellow Filipinos. My work is a direct extension of Rizal’s call for ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ for the benefit of the collective.
This induction into the Knights of Rizal is not an end, but a ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ . I will use this honor and title to do even more to help Filipinos both here in Europe and back home in the Philippines. I believe that I am at the start of my journey of advocacy work. By leveraging the connections and network of the ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅ, I can deepen my impact and positively affect many more lives.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to my dear husband ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ for his support, patience, and for dedicating our honeymoon this year in the Philippines to advocacy and charity work. Thank you to Knights of Rizal Amsterdam Commander ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐๐-๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, for being a powerful beacon in the community, and to our ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ โ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒโ who have supported our advocacy work with donations. Everything we have been doing so far (including scholarships) has been through their generosity and support.
It’s now time to expand our connections, set up systems and increase our advocacy to help more Filipinos and to make real, sustainable, legacy-making change.
My journey as a Knight of Rizal is a commitment to living this legacy every day.
