Statement: On the Demise of Cynthia Alcantara-Barker, Mayor of Hertsmere, England

17 September 2020 - The Department of Foreign Affairs extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Councilor Cynthia Alcantara-Barker, The Worshipful The Mayor of Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, England, who passed away following a period of illness.

Ms. Barker is the first woman of Filipino-descent to hold an elective office in the United Kingdom (UK). Before her stint as Mayor, she also served as Deputy-Mayor in 2019 and had been a town and borough councilor since 2015.

Ms. Barker will be remembered as an inspirational community leader, a role model for women, and an ardent supporter of Filipino communities in the UK, who was always willing to give a helping hand in organizing charitable projects and in promoting Philippine culture and the arts. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and colleagues. END