3 Filipinos in Netherlands awarded royal honors for volunteer work

MANILA, Philippines — Three Filipino women in the Netherlands received royal honors for their major contributions to the Dutch society, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs honors our modern-day heroes for their contributions in advancing the cause and interest of the Filipinos both in the Philippines and overseas, and for bringing honor and recognition to the country through excellence and distinction in the pursuit of their profession, noble service, and volunteer work,” the agency said in a release Monday. 

Koninklijke onderscheidingen (royal honors) are awarded annually with around 3,500 appointments to the Order of Orange-Nassau—one of the royal house orders that falls under the full jurisdiction of King Willem Alexander.

Cecilia Francisco-Lansang from Utrecht was awarded Ridder van Oranje Nassau (Knight of the Order of the House of Orange) for her work as a minister and founding pastor of WORD International Ministries. She is also the European coordinator of Seeds of Hope Ministry, a feeding and education program ministering to the needs of poor children and their families in the Philippines.

Corazon van Campenhout-Alarcon from Schiedam and Avelina Rodriguez-Baxa from The Hague, meanwhile, were both conferred Lid van Orange Nassau (Member of the Order of the House of Orange).

Campenhout-Alarcon, who worked in home care for the elderly until her retirement in 2005, was one of the founding members of Bayanihan Foundation in the Netherlands and one of the co-founders of the WORD International Ministers. She also served as Damayan’s first chairperson.

Rodriguez-Baxa was recognized for providing counseling, practical support and trainings to Filipino migrant workers in the Netherlands and supporting indigent children from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. She also became a board member of Samahan ng mga Manggagawang Pilipino sa Netherlands and Stichting Kapatitan Nederland.

In 2020, 3,057 royal decorations were awarded in the Netherlands—nearly 70% of whom are men.

“The DFA also salutes and expresses its sincere thanks to our Filipino medical frontliners and health workers in the Netherlands for displaying heroic and humanitarian acts and for their continuous sacrifice and service during this difficult time of pandemic,” the department said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico