Page 18 - Vol3-8

KINGDOM ADVENTURES BY GILDA PINEDA DIONELA

Cynthia

Alcantara Barker

A Woman

of Service

A while they were still very young, the youngest being only
ELSTREE AND BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND

typical Filipina, petite, beautiful and with
3 years old. Her mother who worked hard and away from
skin to be envied by those paying fortunes
her children to send them to good schools and provide
to go on holiday to get her tan. That is how
for their needs was combating her own loneliness, but
I can describe the outward feature of Hon.
Cynthia Alcantara Barker. She grew up in
Nearly four decades later Cynthia opened the door of
the “City of 7 Lakes”, with great views of green mountains, she opened the door of United Kingdom for her children.
home of diverse sweet-smelling flowers, various bodies of British politics for next generations Filipinos who aspire to
water and exotic fruit like contribute in shaping the values of the United Kingdom in
“lanzones”. The place is the political spectrum that embraces diversity. She is the
called San Pablo City in first Filipina to serve in British local government as Town
the province of Laguna in Councillor of Elstree and Borehamwood, simultaneous
the Philippines. with being Borough Councillor of Hertsmere.
One of five siblings Hollywood of England - Elstree and Borehamwood
her mother left the Elstree and Borehamwood are the centre of filmmaking
Philippines to work as having the largest film production facility outside
an Overseas Filipino of Hollywood. Many film productions such as The
KINGDOM ADVENTURE Worker (OFW) in United Dambusters, Where Eagles Dare, 2001: Space Odyssey,
Star Wars, The King’s Speech, and The Queen. In
By Gilda Pineda Dionela Kingdom in the ‘70s

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