PH CONSUL GENERAL IN SF HAILS FILIPINO COVID-19 FRONT LINERS IN PH NURSES GROUP’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY
FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA, USA – Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer paid tribute to all Filipino and Filipino American COVID-19 front liners during the 60th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Nurses Association of Northern California (PNANC), held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City, California on 30 October 2021.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer said that Filipino nurses have demonstrated over the course of the pandemic “the genuine meaning of compassion, generosity, and the Filipino spirit of bayanihan.”
“While the world reeled from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, you have stood in the front lines working courageously to deal with an unseen enemy. Despite the fatigue and fear brought about by the pandemic, you faced all challenges head on and forged ahead in your mission to save lives,” Consul General Ferrer said.
As 2021 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-United States diplomatic relations, Consul General Ferrer recognized the role that the 143,00-strong Filipino nurses in the U.S. have played in strengthening the people-to-people ties between the two countries.
“You are much sought after in this country because of your proficiency at work, natural empathy, and selfless dedication for the sick… One out of 20 registered nurses in America, and one out of five in California were trained in the Philippines, making Filipinos the largest group of immigrant nurses in the United States as of the year 2019,” Consul General Ferrer said.
“The Community Milestone Award received by the PNANC on behalf of all essential workers at the San Francisco City Hall, is a testament to your invaluable contributions especially over the course of the pandemic,” the Philippine Consul General added, in reference to the recognition accorded to the group during San Francisco’s official commemoration of Filipino American History Month last 21 October 2021.
PNANC President Emily Danuco, RN expressed her group’s gratitude to Consul General Ferrer for the Philippine Consulate General’s support to Filipino nurses in northern California.
Established in 1961 as the first group of Filipino nurses in the San Francisco Bay Area, the PNANC is an organization dedicated to serving the professional needs of all Filipino nurses in northern California. Majority of PNANC’s members work as front line nurses in areas such as the emergency room (ER), intensive care unit (ICU), medical-surgical section, skilled nursing, and long-term care facilities. END