Filipino driver Roland Quitevis spent 33 years of his life serving eight British ambassadors in the Philippines and now he has been recognised for his service by Queen Elizabeth II, who awarded him with a British Empire Medal on Tuesday.
British Ambassador to the Philippines, Daniel Pruce, announced the award in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Quitevis received the honour "for his services to UK-Philippine relations". He said in the statement, which was shared on the British Embassy Manila's Facebook page: "This is a thoroughly well-deserved recognition of Roland's long service at the Embassy, mostly spent as the Ambassador's driver."
In that same post, Quitevis, who began working at the British Embassy when he was 22 years old as a messenger, wrote about his experience, explaining how his chosen career opened up "multiple opportunities" to him, allowing him to "develop more skills in my field of work".
"I have also been so honoured to be able to drive for some members of the [British] Royal family," he adds, naming Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Charles as past passengers. "It has been such a memorable experience to me to meet each one in person. In fact, during the most recent visit of Princess Anne to the country, she commented that I was very young when she first came to Manila and visited the indigenous community in Clark in the aftermath of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption," he recounts.
"For me, every moment with all the Ambassadors has been unforgettable, as they have treated me like family and always with utmost respect ... Truly this is one for the books, and I will always be thankful to all Her Majesty’s Ambassadors that helped me reach this point in my career."
Quitevis was also previously awarded the Service Recognition Award by Ambassador Stephen Lillie.
