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ON THE LEAD. CPUAA-UK President Jose Ariel Lanada brings home One Nation UK ‘Leadership Award.’ ARIEL LANADA
CPUAA-UK Chapter President bags One Nation UK ‘Leadership Award’
THE CENTRAL ECHO
NO VOICE UNHEARD
BY KATHLEEN E . FRUGALIDAD
C
entral Philippine University Alumni Association United Kingdom (CPUAA-UK) Chapter President Jose Ariel Lanada bagged the Leadership Award by One Nation UK, which aims to recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional and valuable leadership acts in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Receiving the award, Lanada felt “humbled and honored,” saying “It’s a great intention and recognition of your hard work and what you are doing.” He thinks that it is important to acknowledge the contribution of the leaders and that it will “hopefully inspire others to do more.” Lanada shared that leadership for him is not the position but an act of getting things done with others. “Leaders are here to make a difference, we are here to make everybody equal. The reality is nobody can do this job alone,” Lanada said, adding “So it’s empowering, enabling, inspiring, and motivating others to get things done. We are pretty transient, what we do as leaders are building emerging young leaders, so someday they would also lead the community.” He also believes that faith without good works is dead. ”I translate my faith into actions, something that is good work, and others can benefit. I believe that serving people is serving God,” he said. As the president and chairman of three associations, he advocates for communities that aim to be a “voice for Filipino Nurses, provide a support and advocacy network, and encourage personal and professional development.” One of the associations is
the newly founded Filipino Nurses Association UK (FNA-UK), born at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We created a network and a platform where people come together and discuss issues of common interest. We listen, learn from each other, and we share,” he said. He explained that it was established in response to the call for help of Filipino Nurses and Filipino Nursing Associates, who are working in the UK. In April, two (2) of their members died due to COVID-19, and 49 were quarantined. Lanada said that it was the “toughest time” of his life as the Chairman of the Filipino Community of Oxfordshire. “It was hard, but as leaders, we need to act fast. We set up prayer meetings, and the GoFundMe account to help the bereaved families,” he added. He then shared that what made him through the challenges he faced was to reassure himself that there is God of supreme power. “As a believer of the Supreme Power, I believe that we can only do what we can do, the rest we need to surrender to God,” he said. He dedicated the award to his Filipino Colleagues, especially to the fallen Filipino health care workers due to
COVID-19. Furthermore, he thanked CPU for the spirit of service-hood. He noted that the University molded and taught him values that have been embedded in his personality which, “helped achieve what I have achieved today.” Lanada had been recognized as one of the 100 Filipino Leaders in the United Kingdom, a Leadership Award by Ladies of All Nations International in 2019. He is the Chairman of the Filipino Community of Oxfordshire, President of Central Philippine University Alumni Association - United Kingdom Chapter, and the National President of the Filipino Nurses Association of United Kingdom. He is also working as an associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, teaching advanced research design, project management, operational management, and leadership, and at the same time, taking up Doctoral Degree Program in the said university. One Nation Awards UK is a collaborative project of the multiawarded UK news magazine ONE PHILIPPINES and JhermiNATION Events. Lanada was virtually awarded via the One Nations Award UK Facebook group page last September 26.
