On 13 September 2021, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the Board of Trustees Meeting of the Princess Srinagarindra Award Foundation Under the Royal Patronage, to finalise the decision on the Princess Srinagarindra Award Laureate 2021. The Princess Srinagarindra Award 2021 is awarded to Professor Dr. Erlinda Castro PALAGANAS from the Philippines for her outstanding contribution to nursing profession.

This year’s first Board of Trustees Meeting of the Princess Srinagarindra Award Foundation Under the Royal Patronage was held via videoconference, with Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, as a Board Member, joining the Meeting. The Meeting decided to grant Professor Dr. Erlinda Castro PALAGANAS from the Philippines the Princess Srinagarindra Award 2021 for her outstanding contribution in area of community health services and the development of nursing profession in the Philippines.

Professor Dr. PALAGANAS is an academic leader of practice research and professional development, including the development of policies and guidelines for community health services at the primary level for tribal communities. She is well-known for her qualitative research methodology of nursing which has been incorporated in every level of Philippines’ nursing courses.

Professor Dr. PALAGANAS also played a key role in improving the ability of village workers and health workers to conduct self-care and health management, as well as their access to health services.

Moreover, she took part in developing nurses and nursing professions in the Philippines to meet international standard and is a campaigner for fairness and equity at work for nursing profession, including reduction of inequality, appropriate nurse-to-patient ratio, reasonable duty arrangement, and regulations on safe and appropriate work environment.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Dr. PALAGANAS was instrumental in supporting nurses’ requirements to combat COVID-19 through various nursing organisations, as well as raised public awareness through a campaign on self-protection and home nursing equipment.