Celebrating Filipino Cultural Appreciation Month

Throughout the month of June, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust will be hosting a series of events to celebrate Filipino Cultural Appreciation Month.

Filipino Cultural Appreciation Month actively aims to foster consciousness, respect, and love for the nation’s culture and history among Filipinos. It also provides a significant opportunity for Filipino colleagues across RCHT to share their stories, culture and experiences.

Christiern Francis, People Engagement Lead for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Following our first ever culture and diversity conference in March, it is exciting to announce that our PNA-UK Cornwall Chapter Officers were inspired to arrange a celebration of Filipino culture, and have liaised with our EDI and Organisational Development team to formulate plans for this. The Filipino Cultural Appreciation Month is a fantastic opportunity.”

Febbom Mandawe, Public Information Officer for the PNA-UK Cornwall Chapter and an international staff nurse at RCHT, explains, “The month-long celebration begins on June 4 at the Post Graduate centre (10:15 to 11:15), followed by the launching of the Filipiniana section in Cornwall Health Library in the Knowledge Spa. We will be displaying exhibits as well, of different fabrics and products from different provinces of the Philippines.”

“The overarching message of our key events is “Paghahabi” or weaving,” explains Michael Joel Apas, PNA-UK Ambassador for Cornwall. “This refers to the RCHT’s continued recognition of the growing Filipino Community across our hospitals. Further, this event, symbolized as weaving, is a representation of the deepening diplomatic and strong relationship between both countries, including the role of the Filipinos in the Cornish society and their respective contribution to our hospitals. As well as the formal launch and presentation, colleagues will be able to access Filipino Books and Audio CDs that showcase classic and historical Filipino literature, travel and information about the Philippines, and Filipino recipe books.”

Later activities during the month will include an exhibition of photographs taken by our Filipino and other international nursing colleagues as part of the ‘Through My Lens’ project (June 13 to 14), a Filipino Food Fest, to showcase a different Filipino dish once a week throughout the month of June, and a Commemorative Lighting Ceremony, to be confirmed. There will also be a weekly feature as part of the RCHT podcast and radio show, in which some of our Filipino colleagues will talk about their experiences as an international nurse and the importance of celebrating unity and diversity across RCHT.

More details of each event will be shared ahead of time to the RCHT staff Facebook page and across our official social media and internal communication channels.

“By celebrating different cultures, we take a significant step towards building a stronger and more inclusive RCHT,” concludes Christiern Francis. “This celebration is a chance to learn, appreciate, and celebrate. We encourage everyone to participate in the Filipino Cultural Appreciation Month activities. Let’s celebrate the diversity that enriches RCHT and the wider community! Maraming Salamat.”