SEOUL, South Korea, (PNA) — Proportional Representative Jasmine Bacurnay-Lee of South Korea’s National Assembly, a recipient of the Order of Lakandula, considers the award as a challenge and a responsibility to do even better.
Lee, 36 years old, is the first Philippine-born naturalized Korean to be elected as proportional representative to South Korea’s National Assembly in 2012.
President Benigno S. Aquino III will confer the Order of Lakandula with a rank of Officer on Lee as recognition for her achievement and her advocacies in promoting migrant women’s rights and multiculturalism.
The Order of Lakandula is one of the highest recognitions given by the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
President Aquino, who is arriving here Thursday for a State Visit upon the invitation of President Park Geun-hye, will confer the award on Lee when he meets the Filipino community living and working in Seoul on Friday.
During an interview with Radio-Television Malacanang in Seoul, Lee said that being the first Filipino to be elected to the National Assembly is already a big responsibility for her.
“It’s a big challenge for me already; it’s a big responsibility for me already kasi nga whatever I do, it will actually be the result of kung magkakaroon pa tayo ng pangalawa, pangatlo o pang-apat,” she said
“And when I heard that I’ll be given the award, I thought, ‘Okay, this is another responsibility.’ I’m actually taking it as a challenge, as a responsibility given to me to be better, to do what I can do better,” she further said.
Representative Lee said that she also considers the presidential award as a reminder of her roots. I’m hoping na this is going to be a reminder for me to stay strong, to keep my feet on the ground,” she said.
Lee, a mother of two, said that she started working as an advocate of multiculturalism because of her kids, emphasizing that she wanted to make sure that this society will be a better society for them and for all of the children.
Lee has received various awards in the past years including the 2012 Immigrants’ Human Rights Award, 2012 CICI Korea Image Milestone Award and the 10th Future Women Leaders Award.