Harmony Week Staff Profile - Katrina Tanalgo

Describe your background

I come from a small city in the Philippines which is known to be the “Sugar bowl of the Philippines” - Bacolod City. 

I am the eldest among 3, with my younger brother in New Zealand (also a nurse) and youngest sister (an aspiring doctor) in the Philippines with our parents. 



I come from a family of great cooks, everyone has a knack for cooking or baking except for me!

Prior to moving to Australia, I have lived in New Zealand for 13 years.

How long have you been working at EDMH?

I started working at EDMH in December of 2021.

What does diversity mean to you?

To me, diversity means being inclusive no matter your gender, culture, religion, beliefs or background. It is understanding and accepting that each one of us is unique.

What would you like other people to know about your heritage?

As a child, the value of respect has always been ingrained in us especially towards our elderly. 

We address older siblings, cousins or friends as “Manong” or “Manang” in my dialect, aunts or uncles as “Tita” or “Tito” and grandparents as “Lolo” and “Lola”. 

We greet our elderly by pressing our forehead against the back of their hands and say “Mano po” as a sign of respect.

This year’s theme is ‘everyone belongs’, what does that mean to you?

“Everyone belongs” means that despite our differences, there are still ties between us that bind us together.