The Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Nurses Association of America honored 11 Filipino and Filipino American nurses Oct. 9 for their selection as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing, the embassy announced in an Oct. 16 statement.

The reception, “Pagdiriwang ng Kahusayan,” or “Celebration of Excellence,” took place at the embassy ahead of the academy’s Oct. 10 induction ceremony in Washington.

The honorees were Nelson Aquino, Raquel Bertiz, Benjamin Joel Breboneria, Brigitte Cypress, Federico Mendoza Doliente III, Pablito Roberto Gahol, Maria Reila Molina, Rayne Soriano, Mila Sprouse, Jandryle Trondillo and Patria Villacorta Manalaysay.

Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez welcomed the nurses, their families, association officials and representatives of nursing and health care organizations. He congratulated the honorees and recognized Filipino nurses’ contributions to health care and ties between the Philippines and the United States.

“Your induction is not simply a recognition of individual achievement, but a celebration of the knowledge, compassion, leadership, and service that Filipino nurses bring to their profession,” Romualdez said.

Recognition of nursing leadership

The American Academy of Nursing recognizes fellows for their contributions to health care, research, education, administration and public policy. Fellows may use the credential FAAN, which stands for Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Gahol, one of the honorees, is president of the Philippine Nurses Association of America for the 2026-2028 term.

Attendees included former academy President Kenneth White; Beverly Malone of the National League for Nursing; Angie Millan of the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations; Ena Williams of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership; Bradley Goettl-Ng of the American Nurses Enterprise; and Katherine Finn-Davis of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

White closed the reception with a toast and encouraged the incoming fellows to contribute to the profession.

“It is not a mistake that you are here. You belong here and you were meant to be here,” White said. “We need what you know, we need how you serve, so get involved.”

Filipino American History Month

The reception was held during Filipino American History Month and marked the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States.

The Philippine Nurses Association of America is a nonprofit professional organization that supports Filipino American nurses through education, research, leadership development and clinical practice. It has 55 chapters and more than 5,000 members nationwide.

The embassy and the association have held previous “Pagdiriwang ng Kahusayan” celebrations, including a virtual event in 2020 honoring nurses selected for the academy’s 2019 and 2020 fellowship classes.