First Batch of Highly Sought Filipino Nurses Arrive 

in The Netherlands

The six Filipino nurses’ arrival at Schiphol airport on 26 October 2022. (The Hague PE photo)

THE HAGUE, 27 October 2022 – A total of six Filipino nurses arrived in The Netherlands on 26 October 2022 as part of efforts undertaken to address shortages in the health and intensive care sectors. They will be assigned to the intensive care units (ICUs) of a hospital in The Hague.

“The Philippine Embassy welcomes the arrival in the Netherlands of Filipino nurses, whose services have been sought by Dutch health and other officials. Filipino nurses are recognized and appreciated for their expertise, professionalism, and caring attitude. Our nurses are pleased to help out,” Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya said. 

Consul General Lolita B. Capco and OTTO Work Force CEO Mr. Frank van Gool met Filipino nurses Lemuel Hortella (from Manila), Amabella Jeza Ramirez (Batangas), Kathleen Faye Colago (Davao del Sur), Danna Bantang (Eastern Samar), Iris Adah Torres (Bataan) and Carolina Vidal (Occidental Mindoro) upon their arrival at Schiphol airport. 

Ms. Sophie van Hoenselaar, OTTO Project Leader on Europe-Asia Project, Embassy’s Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) Officer Jasper Revilla and Attaché Armand Mahinay were also present. 

The Filipino nurses undertook eight months of training in the Philippines on the Dutch language, culture, and healthcare and will undergo an additional 14-day training in The Netherlands. They will then take a general knowledge and skill test, including a language exam, before they assume duties in November 2022. 

A group of Filipino nurses also arrived in The Netherlands in October 1964 and worked at a university hospital in Utrecht. This is considered as one of the significant events in the early people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the Philippines and The Netherlands. END

Consul General Capco during the interview with Nieuwsuur, a Dutch local media news agency. (The Hague PE photo) 

Filipino nurses during the interview with Nieuwsuur. (The Hague PE photo)

Arrival of the first group of Filipino nurses in The Netherlands in October 1964. (Photo Credit: History of Filipino Community in The Netherlands by Orquidia Flores-Valenzuela, 2007. Available at https://bit.ly/3zoknhO.)

For more information, visit https://www.thehaguepe.dfa.gov.ph or  https://www.facebook.com/PHinTheNetherlands/.