IT is now 10 years since the first batch of 24 Filipino nurses arrived in Abergavenny to help staff Nevill Hall Hospital - leaving their lives behind to save lives here.

Last week they celebrated that momentous time in their lives on June 1 - ten years to the day - with a special thanksgiving mass in Our Lady and St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Abergavenny, conducted by Father Thomas Regan, and a party in the evening at the Manor Hotel, Crickhowell.

In addition to the 24, another 40 came over on the same plane to work at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

Nearly two years later the second batch of nurses arrived so now there are more than 100 living and working in Gwent.

Of the first 24, 18 are still in Abergavenny, the others went to work in London, the United States and Australia. But many of those still here found love, married and had children.

It was extremely difficult for those who were already married to tear themselves away from their husbands, children and families in the Philippines and start a new life and career in a foreign country.

Among them was Cynthia Bermas who left behind five year old son Jeff and seven month old daughter Jemaica who was still breast feeding.

She found that extremely difficult. "I was so depressed that I was always on the phone to them, I was spending £300 - £400 a month on phone cards. Then my husband Jeffrey joined me here a year later and the children followed in October 2003.

"Our third child, daughter Jinelle was born in Abergavenny in June 2005."

Her husband was the first Filipino to get a job at the Northern Automotives' factory in Gilwern, followed by Fred Munoz, whose wife Merlyn is a nurse.

The first baby to be born here to the Filipino nurses was Rita Laurado's daughter on April 7, 2003.

The youngest nurse in the first 24 was 23 year old Rosel Madarang who married a Welshman, Anthony Howe, in 2008 after meeting him at a party six years earlier.

The oldest one, Lolita Lagum, was 42 when she arrived and she and her Filipino husband later divorced. She now has a new partner, Abergavenny born Russell Woodhouse, an auxiliary nurse.

Her youngest child is 15 year old Kayvel, a pupil at St Albans Roman Catholic secondary school.

She said, "I was eight when I came to live in Abergavenny and it was scary when I first started school at Our Lady and St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School because I didn't speak that much English. But there were other Filipino children there already and I soon settled in." She is now hoping to go on to university to do business studies.

One of the sweetest love stories to emerge is that between Belle and Russell Hathway. Belle was one of the youngest nurses to arrive on June 1, 2001, and by coincidence she occupied the same room at the nurses' home in Nevill Hall Hospital as Russell's mother in the 1970s.

His mum Violeta came over in 1973 to work at Penyfal Psychiatric Hospital, Abergavenny and she met and married Lance Hathway from Nantyglo.

When the nurses arrived ten years ago she offered support to them and the couple then met at a Filipino Christmas party. They are married with a three year old daughter Adele, and their second child is due in four weeks' time. Russell is a doctor working at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil. He is also a qualified dentist.

Before leaving their home country the nurses, who all had jobs, had to take exams in psychology and maths, to ensure they could administer the correct dosage of drugs, as well as an English test. After passing these they underwent a personal interview with the Gwent Healthcare team which flew out to the Philippines.

Maria Meline Larupay left her home country on May 31, 2001, on her husband's birthday and arrived the following day - her wedding anniversary. So last week's celebrations on June 1 also marked the couple's silver wedding anniversary.

Her husband Elijurry (also known as Ray or Elli) was a Sergeant Major in the Marines in the Philippines, so he did not join his wife in Wales until he retired in 2007.

He now works in the local Tesco supermarket, and he celebrated four years in that job on June 1, making it a triple celebration. They have four children and the eldest has just graduated from university while the youngest attends St Albans Roman Catholic Comprehensive School.

In the beginning the nurses all walked to work, even after they moved into rented homes, but then they graduated to taking their driving tests and taking out mortgages and today the majority own their own homes and drive a car. Five of the nurses have also been promoted to the rank of sister.

They all agreed that they love Abergavenny because the people are so friendly and they like the green landscape, the mountains and the river. Living here also gave them their first experience of snow.

Rita Laurado recalled, "It was December 2001 and when we saw snow falling we all ran out to see it and to play in it. But we found the climate really cold, even in the summer, when we still used the heating in the nurses' home.

"It is around 37degrees at home. But we all go home to the sunshine once a year to see our family and friends."

Rita's husband Emil joined her in June, 2002, travelling on the same plane as Jeffrey Bermas, and he also works at the Gilwern factory.

They have all integrated well into the community, their children have English as their first language and they attend Our Lady and St Michael's RC Primary School and St Mary's RC Primary School in Brynmawr, as well as King Henry School and St Albans.

Russell Hathway said, "Filipinos are so laid back and such easy going people that they tend to integrate well. As the Philippines was a Spanish colony 300 years ago you have that blend of east and western influences."