MYRLA DANAO, A DUTCH-FILIPINA, RECEIVES LID IN DE ORDE VAN ORANJE-NASSAU (MEMBER ORDER OF ORANGE-NASSAU) MEDAL FROM KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS
By Orquidia Valenzuela
Houten-The Netherlands
April 30, 2018
Houten-April 26:Houten Municipality Mayor Wouter de Jong awarded Member-Order of Orange-Nassau to Myrla Danao, a long-time resident in The Netherlands. The simple awarding ceremony was held at the residence of the awardee in Houten-The Netherlands.
The Order of Orange-Nassau (Ordevan Oranje-Nassau) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina.
The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has earned special merits for society". These are people who deserve appreciation and recognition from society for the special way in which they have carried out their activities.(Source: Wikipedia)
Brief biography of Awardee Myrla Danao:
Fresh from her graduation at Saint Paul’s University in Manila with a degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing Myrla Danao did not have an inkling that she was destined to leave for The Netherlands very soon. It all began when Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands was on official visit to the Philippines. She met with hospital officials and saw the nurses working. She conferred with the hospitals on the possibility of sending Philippine nurses to her country. In 1965 Myrla, together with other nurses signed a three-year contact to work in Netherlands’ hospitals.
In order to meet the urgent demand of hospitals the officials concerned had to split the group, Myrla to go to Academisch Ziekenhuis in Leiden. The hospital assigned her to its intensive care unit. At the end of her contract she flew to California to join her sister there.
The Dutch are determined people according to many observers. This is true in the case of a young man Myrla met in the Netherlands. Paul Barten from Wassenaar followed her. She was already working in a hospital in San Jose. They tied the knot in 1969. The couple returned to the Netherlands and settled in the city of Houten in Utrecht province.
Myrla happily started another phase in her life. She devoted her time as wife and mother. The first born was a daughter Imee and five years followed by a son they named after his father Paul.
Her role as wife and mother did not stop Myrla from rendering community service and joining humanitarian and civic groups in Houten and in nearby cities especially when Paul Sr. served as alderman and acting mayor of Houten. Her intelligence and grace fitted her role as a politician’s wife. They were a team. Myrla also gave attention to her countrymen/women seeking advice and help, even offering their home as temporary shelter.
Myrla went back to work in 1976 till 1987 at the Academisch Ziekenhuis in Utrecht. She proved her expertise in her profession. She was the first nurse to be a member of the Commission on Scientific Human Research. She was chosen to be a member of the National Patient Care Assurance Committee organized by the Netherlands Department of Health. She was the first Filipino member. Her passion for continuing education led her to initiate the first library for professional nurses in the hospital.
Even now in her senior years, Myrla maintains her participation in the activities and programs of Philippine/Dutch associations/foundations/groups concerning migrant of kababayan. One of them is Bayanihan in Utrecht which gives social services to kababayan. She was before a board officer.
She actively participates in the projects in Houten one of them is the Catholic Church annual Aid Action for developing countries. She is with the local Red Cross and a board member of Con Amor, a Dutch foundation also giving financial help to developing countries. She visits the elderly living alone in Houten, listens to stories of their past and their “woes” and keeps them company for a few hours.
Myrla learnt about Sibol, a child development program of Gawad Kalinga foundation in the Philippines. The school offers gratis pre-elementary school education to children of poor families in Balingasan in Quezon City. Sibol is not a government-run project. Donations keep it going. It was in a dilemma when donors were hit by the economic recession. Concerned about the welfare of the children, Myrla presented Sibol’s problem to the Board officials of Con Amor foundation in Utrecht.
Sibol school continues to survive from the annual donation it gets from Con Amor. Fifty to 60 children enroll every schoolyear. Many have already graduated from higher education and can look forward to a better future.
Aside from Sibol other Philippine recipients of Con Amor donations in Manila are Child Neuroscience Center. It admits children patients with neurological disorder. They are mostly from very poor families. The Center is supported by volunteer specialists and aides in medical field. But, its main problem is lack of funding. Patients’ cases may need operation, long term hospitalization, treatment, continued physical therapy and of course medicines.
Another Con Amor recipient is the Heart of Mary Villa of the Order of the nuns of Good Shepherd which is home to parentless babies. The nuns are assisted by volunteer doctors, caregivers and others help in the home. Donations help buy the babies’ food, medicines, clothing and medical needs and hospitalization in urgent cases, etc.
Today, Myrla is in her senior years yet still busy with her humanitarian and civic work. She remains available to her Dutch friends and countrymen in need of whatever assistance.
Myrla, the daughter of Apolinario Danao and Tempora Limos of Lupao, Nueva Ecija has gone a long way. She has established a name in the country, the Netherlands, she considers her second home. But, proudly says she is a Filipina who left her country the Philippines, 53 years ago.
Some Testimonials:
STICHTING CON AMOR: Nanda-Bestuur Con Amor
MyrlaDanao is sinds November 2005 bestuurslid van Stichting Con Amor. Deze Stichting zet zich wereldwijd in voor kansarmen, met name voor kinderen. Con Amor ondersteunt jaarlijks diverse projecten waaronder een aantal in the Filippijnen:
SIBOL DON MANUELeengratis pre-school for kleuters uit de sloppenwijken waardoor deze kinderen toegang krijgen tot lagere school HEART OF MARY VILLA – eenopvang voor zwangere, ongehuwde vrouwen en achter-gelaten babies CHILD NEUROSCIENCE CENTER-eenziekenhuis voor kinderen met een neurologische aandoening die geen geld hebben voor operaties.
Alsbestuurslid van Con Amor zet Myrla belangeloss haar kennis van de Filippijnen, beheersing van de locale taal en haar network in om de donaties van Con Amor op de juiste plek terecht te laten komen. Ook bezoekt zij periodiek alle projecten in the Filipijnen geheel of eigen kosten.
…….. Als opvang medewerkster van Stichting Bayanihan werkte zij met hart en ziel om de vrouwen die slachtoffers zijn van huiselijk geweld te versterken en te begeleiden. Zelfs als daar geen plek meer in the opvanghuizen aarzelde haar niet om de vrouwen in haar eigen huis op te vangen. Zij organiseerde zelfs een cultureel benefiet concert en een Parel fondsen actie(zij maakte parel sieraden) om fondsen voor Sticht. Bayanihan te krijgen…….. MyrlaDanao is voor ons synomiem is met altruism, idealism en daad. Het is hoog tijd dat zij dit erkening krijgt omdat zij dit zeker verdient heeft.. ……….
STICHTING KAPATIRAN
Henk Ankone-Voorzitter
…………Myrla heeft enkele jaren met overtuiging en compassie meegewerkt in het bestuur van Kapatiran. Mensen als zij, die zich als vrijwilliger inzetten voor anderen, vormen het social kapitaal voor onze Nederlandse samenleving. Zij verdienen daarom onze dank en bewondering. Door haar werk voor Kapatiran heeft Myrla Danao niet alleen de Filippijnse samenleving geholpen, maar ook de Nederlandse samenleving een beetje leefbaarder gemaakt …….
Myrlais al meer dan 15 jaar lid van de vastenactie werkgroep in Houten. Zij is daarin zeer gedreven. Heeft goede contacten met de diverse basisscholen en met werkgroepen in de geloofsgemeenschap om elk jaar de vastenactie weer tot een success te maken.
…….. door haar vele international contacten heeft Myrla voor vele gastsprekers gezorgd……
Myrlaheeft een goed talent voor koken. Zij geeft al vele jaren leiding bij het organiseren en bereiden van de Vastenactie Maaltijd voor circa 50 personen. Dit is geen sobere maaltijd, maar een maaltijd die geheel in het teken staat van het actieland en samengesteld wordt met gerechten, die in dat land worden gegeten.
….. Kortom….een Gedreven Vrijwilliger, al vele jaren lang…… Een steunpilaar voor onze werkgroep……..
PAROCHIELE CARITAS INSTELLING(PCI)-HOUTEN
A.H. van der Zant-Voormalig Voorzitter MyrlaBarten si de volle periode van 8 jaar lid geweest van PCI…… Myrlawas een zeer gewaardeerd bestuurslid…Vanuit haar functie bij de PCI was zij ook nauw betrokken bij de vastenactie …. Regelmatigtrof Myrla aan in de keuken bij de parochieruimtes om daar te zorgen voor koffie en thee…. Ze maakte daar ook jaren lang deel uit van de club gastheren en-vrouwen die voor koffie en thee zorgen na vieringen en bij vergaderingen. ….. Myrla is een gewaardeerd vrijwilliger di haar sporen heft verdiend.
Presentation of awardees by Mayor Wouter de Jong (Van der Valk Hotel-Houten)
Corazon Dee Poortugaal The Netherlands Thu 3rd May 2018
Congratulations for a well deserved award Myrla
Various Comments Thu 3rd May 2018
Genibe Molabin (Netherlands): Congratulations, Ate Myrla!!!
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Cee Dee (Netherlands): Congratulations, Myrla!
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Ma. Ophelia Butalid-Echaves (Netherlands): So happy and proud of you Myrla!
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Margie Zwanenburg-vivas (Netherlands): Congratulations Ate Myrla. We are proud of you !!
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Rose Slotema (Netherlands): Congratulations Myrla, we're so proud of you!
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Cesar Taguba(Netherlands): Congrats Myrla!!
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Coni Ledesma(Netherlands): Congratulations Myrla!
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Leila Rispen (Netherlands): Congratulations !!
Various Comments Wed 2nd May 2018
Angel Axinto (Netherlands): Congratulations!!
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Charina Bugagao (Netherlands): Super proud for madam Myrla
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Nelia Tonido (Toronto): Congratulations, proud of you Myrla Danao!
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Helen Medina (Netherlands): Congratulations.
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Patricia Alerta Orolfo (Amsterdam): Congratulations i am very proud of her Myrla Danao i met her already in Utrecht long time ago .... Wish you more good health and enjoy life ... Thanks for all the good things you've done to our Kababayans here in Holland ... God bless you and also to your family.
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Mellie Lacson (Almere): Congratulations Myrla. We are proud of you.
Mherzy van der Steen (Rotterdam ): Van harte gefeliciteerd Myrla
Effie. Marks Mendoza NY USA Tue 1st May 2018
Congratulations Myrla our Pride of our Counttry the Philippines
Irma R. Galias The Netherlands Mon 30th April 2018
Good job MN. Congratulations Myrla you deserve to be honored for your untiring dedication and charitable work.
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