TWO Filipinos in Singapore were among the 100 nurses honored by the Nurses’ Merit Award (NMA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.Arlene Dergam Aleta, Nurse Manager at the St. Andrew’s Community Hospital, and Niel Caderao Cahatian, Assistant Nurse Manager at the All Saints Home, will each receive a medal and cash prize of $1,000, the DFA said in a statement.Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Twitter, called Aleta and Cahatian 'heroes overseas' and congratulated them for 'making us proud'. gaporeStarted in 1976, the NMA is awarded to nurses who have displayed 'noteworthy and exceptional performance, participated in professional development, and contributed to raising the standard of the nursing profession,' the DFA said.Nurses are nominated for the award by their healthcare institutions and selected by a panel set up by the Singapore Ministry of Health (MoH).The awarding of NMA this year comes at a time when the nursing profession in Singapore marks its 135th anniversary. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Joseph del Mar Yap said Filipino nurses 'have always been known for their dedication, professionalism and technical capability worldwide.'The NMA recognition accorded to Aleta and Cahatian is another testament to that, Manila's envoy to Singapore added.'As Filipino nurses find themselves at the frontlines all over the world bravely participating in the global fight against Covid-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019), may this award inspire all Filipino nurses to continue to uphold the highest standards in their profession,” Yap said.
