Legacy of Compassion: The Arrival of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Philippines
Three years after the end of the Second World War, the Sovereign Order of Malta formally arrived, at last, on Philippine shores. Though a small number of Knights already had figured in Philippine history, the Order had had no official representation in the country before the Spanish Knight Don Paulino Miranda Sampedro formed “The Delegation for the Spanish Association of the Order of Malta” in 1948.
Resilience Amidst Ruin: The Journey of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Post-War Philippines
Many were caught celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at Sunday mass when war came to the islands on December 8, 1941, forged by the Japanese Imperial Army. Don Paulino had no recourse but to close his shop and the free clinic for indigent patients.
The Hospitaller Trailblazers: Establishing the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Philippines
Performing their Hospitaller duties post-war as best they could, the Delegation, also called the Caballeros de Malta, were a major help, financing the large orphanage Hospicio de San Jose’s daily food and medical requirements and rebuilding the old Balala Hospital in Culion, Palawan.
Sacred Service: The Sovereign Order of Malta’s Enduring Legacy in the Philippines
In 1966, the Marquis of Rafal, Don Fernando Manuel Villena, arrived in Manila to become the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Extraordinary of the Order of Malta to the Philippines.
Compassion Amidst Conflict: The Sovereign Order of Malta’s Impact in Troubled Times
In 1972, the Grand Chancellor of the Order, Bailiff Frá Quintin Jermy Gwyn, visited the country, a watershed for the Philippine Order as it was the first time that such a high-ranking officer of the Order came to visit.
Legacy of Service: The Sovereign Order of Malta’s Humanitarian Contributions in the Philippines
In 1974, architect José María Zaragoza was elected the Philippine Order’s leader, taking on Sampedro’s old title as Delegate, instead of president. During his term, the Tala Foundation Inc. (presently called Philippine Hospitaller Foundation of the Order of Malta), was founded.
Unwavering Service: The Sovereign Order of Malta’s Influence Amidst Philippine Transformations
On February 1, 1979, then Sovereign Military Order of Malta Prince and Grand Master Frá Angelo de Mojana di Cologna honored the Philippine Order with a five-day State Visit, the fruit of Ambassador of the Philippines to the Holy See, Don Antonio C. Delgado’s efforts.
Humanitarian Endeavors and Political Turmoil: The Sovereign Order of Malta’s Role in the Philippines
In 1981, Don Jesus S. Cabarrus, Sr., founder and chairman of Marinduque Mining Industrial Corporation, among his many other gold and nickel mines, and also chairman of The Chamber of Mines, became the Philippine Order’s president.
Champions of Change: The Sovereign Order of Malta Amidst Revolution and Social Transformation in the Philippines
Through the unrest, in 1984, Don Antonio Infante y Roxas replaced Don Jesus Cabarrus after being elected the Order’s new president. Infante was from Pampanga, and was the eldest son in a family of nine children.
Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta
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