The Soul of a Nation: Honoring the Filipino Nurse, Guardian of Global Healing

By Atty. Arnedo S. Valera

Keynote Speaker, PNAAF Presidential Awards Night, "Bayani ng Mundo"
(This article is based on the inspirational keynote address delivered by the writer to the Philippine Nurses Association of America Foundation (PNAAF) in Edison, New Jersey, on May 31.)

Tonight, we do not simply celebrate accolades. We enshrine legacy.

As I stood before the vibrant gathering of the Philippine Nurses Association of America Foundation (PNAAF) and the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA), I saw not just professionals in white coats—but radiant lights of hope and healing. I asked the Officers and Board of both PNAAF and PNAA to rise, and the room thundered with applause. In that moment, you could feel it—the unity, the strength, the beating heart of a diaspora rooted in service and sacrifice.

The Lifeblood of Two Institutions

PNAAF and PNAA are not merely partners. They are kindred forces. One empowers through financial stewardship, the other uplifts through professional leadership. Together, they sustain a movement — the lifeblood of the Filipino nursing force in America and around the world.

As PNAAF focuses on long-term sustainability, PNAA builds the frontline force of competent, ethical, and globally respected nurses. This isn’t just organizational synergy — it’s a sacred bond, anchored in service and soul.

Filipino Nurses: The World’s Most Trusted Professionals

To be a nurse is to be trusted. But to be a Filipino nurse is to offer more than trust — it is to offer love in its most courageous form.

In pandemics, disasters, and everyday healing, the Filipino nurse is the unbreakable bridge between science and compassion. They do not just heal — they restore dignity. They do not just assist — they accompany patients through the valleys of fear, pain, and even death.

From Manila to Manhattan, from Davao to Detroit, the world sees it — the Filipino nurse is not just a worker. They are a soul-bearer.

My Story: Healing in Humor and Humanity

During my two-week hospital confinement due to cardiac complications, it was the Filipino nurses who comforted me at 2 a.m., who brought humor into terror, who reminded me — even lawyers have hearts! Their warmth and wit didn’t just stabilize my body; they restored my spirit.

In moments like that, the dignity of Filipino caregiving revealed itself. Even in weakness, I found strength in their smile. Even in silence, I felt their prayers.

Tribute to My Son and My Battle with Cancer

My son, Alex, a Senior Software Engineer at Netflix and a Lo-Fi composer, sat in the audience that night. With him was his partner, Ms. Susan Yu, a creative force in her own right. They, too, are healers—in digital spaces and aesthetic realms.

Six years ago, I faced a near-fatal diagnosis: stage colon cancer. In the thick of the pandemic, while others feared contagion, I feared time. But instead of surrender, I chose color. I showed up to chemo sessions with mismatched shoes, vibrant shirts, and a determined smile. I found healing in cooking my mother’s recipes — turning pain into passion, and chemotherapy into communion.

In one dream, I soared to heaven’s gate, only to be told: “Go back. Use your temporary wings.” That dream wasn’t a denial — it was a divine commission. And so I live — to speak, to fight, to love louder.

Bayani ng Mundo: Honoring the Silent Warriors

I paid tribute that night to our Presidential Awardees — the "Bayani ng Mundo." Heroes not by title, but by action. Their sacrifices stand as monuments not made of stone, but of sleepless nights, aching backs, and unquantifiable compassion.

You are the invisible scaffolding holding up healthcare systems across the globe.

Marching for Freedom, Peace, and Sovereignty

Tomorrow, June 1, I march not just as a community leader, but as a patriot. Under the banner of Hakbang ng Maisug, USA and SDS NY, we commemorate the 127th anniversary of Philippine Independence with this year's resonant theme: “Embrace and Preserve Our Culture to Unite and Empower the Future.”

We will march — side by side with nurses, OFWs, and professionals — not in protest, but in promise. We demand transparency, accountability, peace, and sovereignty. We call on our government to rectify a grave mistake: the unlawful submission of Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which no longer holds sway over the Philippines since our sovereign withdrawal in 2019.

I was summoned by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, to present our legal position: The ICC has no power here. Philippine courts remain functional, and our sovereignty is not for negotiation.

Let this be heard from the streets of Manhattan to the halls of Malacañang — our democracy does not bend to foreign whims. We owe it to our Constitution, to our people, and to our future.

A Salute to Those Who Serve in Silence

We honored Ms. Angie Tirso, a woman who has transitioned from being a teacher and human rights worker to a faithful gospel advocate. We remembered Menchu De Luna, praised by President Obama — a hero, like the many who were seated that evening, quietly changing lives.

We especially pay tribute to former PNAAF President Merlita Velasquez, who helped build the Legacy Building. Her leadership, like the structure she envisioned, is built not of stone and steel, but of vision and valor.

The Filipino Nurse: A Global Healer

Why are Filipino nurses in such demand? Not just for their credentials, but for their character.

They do not just care — they carry us.
They do not just show up — they stand up.
Kapag Pilipino ang nag-alaga, may pagmamahal, may malasakit, at may Diyos.

Slogan and Benediction

“Pusong Alay, Buhay ang Gabay — Filipino Nurses, Kabalikat ng Mundo.”
To all Filipino nurses — we see you. We love you. We stand because you do not fall.

Let us end with a prayer:

"Mapagmahal na Diyos, kami ay nagpapasalamat sa aming mga kapatid na nars — mga tagapagdala ng liwanag sa dilim ng karamdaman. Palakasin Mo po sila. Pagpalain ang kanilang pamilya, mga pangarap, at ang kanilang paglalakbay. Sa bawat hakbang nila, samahan Mo sila — at bigyan ng kagalakan ang kanilang paglilingkod. Amen."

Final Salute

Mabuhay ang PNAAF!
Mabuhay ang Bayani ng Mundo!
Mabuhay ang Filipino Nurses — Kabalikat ng Mundo!
Maraming salamat po.

For republication or permission to reprint, contact Atty. Arnedo S. Valera at Valera & Associates, PC. This piece is dedicated to every Filipino nurse — past, present, and future — who continues to uplift the world with the power of care rooted in soul.