PHILIPPINE-BASED BRITISH NATIONAL RECEIVES MEMBER OF BRITISH EMPIRE AWARD FROM QUEEN ELIZABETH II  

26 April 2007 – Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Edgardo B. Espiritu reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that a British national based in the Philippines was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her services to midwifery in the Philippines .  

Miss Mavis Orton, 74-year old British national based in the Philippines, was among those included in the 2007 New Year's List of HM Queen Elizabeth II.  The Queen shall present the award to Ms. Orton in June 2007 in Buckingham Palace .  

The MBE is one of the five classes of the British orders of chivalry, established by King George V on 4 June 1917 to honor the many thousands of people who served in numerous non-combatant capacities during the First World War.  Since then, recipients of the award include those who have shown exemplary performance in their respective fields of endeavor.  

Ms. Orton worked as a midwife in the UK National Health Service until her retirement in 1986.  After her retirement, she applied to several missionary agencies until she secured support from ACTION International Ministries in Canada .  She then became involved in medical and evangelistic outreaches which brought her to the Philippines .  In 1991, she decided to run a midwifery service from her home in Antipolo.  This work has developed successfully and, with her team, Ms Orton plans to construct a purpose-built birthing home in Antipolo with a capacity to support 1,500 births each year.  END

/jay

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