Nursing has been a proud Filipino tradition for many generations. During American colonization of the Philippines, the U.S. set up nursing schools throughout the Philippines and provided American-style nursing training to local Filipinos. As a result, Filipinos now represent approximately 4% of registered nurses in the United States, even though they only make up 1% of the American population. In California, a whopping 18% of working nurses are of Filipino descent.
Given the outsized representation of Flipinos in the American nursing profession, Filipino American communities are also facing outsized risk during this COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these communities are under extraordinary stress as they struggle to protect themselves from a virus that they have abnormally high exposure to. Filipino families that have multiple members serving as healthcare professionals are experiencing numerous illnesses and even deaths in the family within a short period of time. The toll that this pandemic is taking on Filipinos in particular is vast and growing, and as a Filipino immigrant company, we feel this concern deeply and personally.
Despite these challenges, Filipino healthcare workers – as well as those in other essential roles – continue to risk their lives everyday to protect and serve their communities. To acknowledge the sacrifice and courage of these frontline workers, Chibundle was proud to hold a giveaway contest for two of these incredible healthcare professionals selected by our Chibundle community. Belle and Michelle, the winners of this contest, are two registered nurses who represent the very best of the Filipino community. Their compassion, professionalism and steadfast commitment to helping those in need make these women (and other amazing frontliners) true heroes, and we are so grateful for all the hard work they have done and continue to do!
If you would like to help out or donate to causes that support frontliners and essential workers, we recommend the following initiatives (keep visiting this page as we add more to the list):