The Grand Master’s Visit
His Most Eminent Highness The Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Fra’ Matthew Festing, arrived in Manila on March 1, 2015, for a seven day official visit.
Fra’ Matthew Festing is the second Grand Master to visit the Philippines after Fra’ Angelo de Mojana di Cologna in February 1979. In his official entourage were: His Excellency Baron Albrecht von Boeselager, Grand Chancellor; His Excellency Dominique Prince de la Rochefoucauld-Montbel, Grand Hospitaller; His Excellency Ambassador Alberto Leoncini Bartoli, Counsellor of the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta and Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Holy See; His Excellency Count Thierry de Beaumont-Beynac, President of the French National Association of the Sovereign Order of Malta and President of Malteser International; Her Excellency Ambassador Odelia Gregorio Arroyo, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Republic of the Philippines; Mr. Leonardo Marra, Head of Protocol of the Sovereign Order of Malta; Karl Prince Zu Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. (MHD) and President of Malteser International Europe; Baron Eugenio Ajroldi di Robbiate, Director of the Communications Office of the Sovereign Order of Malta; Mr. John Straker, Aide-de-Camp to the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta and Ms. Isaure Faivre D’Arcier, Communications Officer of Malteser International Europe.
The Grand Master’s visit also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Sovereign Order of Malta.
A Conventual Mass was celebrated at the St. John the Baptist Chapel, Order of Malta Compound to welcome the Grand Master and his party the day after the delegation arrived. Partners, beneficiaries and benefactors of the Order of Malta in its service to the poor, the sick and the needy were also present to welcome the Grand Master and his party and to receive donations of medical supplies from the Order for charitable works channelled through them.
Dinner with the members of the Philippine Association ensued at the Glass Door hosted by President Dr. Leopoldo Lazatin and his wife, Doña Delza. The Strategic Vision of the Order of Malta Philippines was presented to Fra’ Matthew Festing, the members and candidates. As a highlight to the occasion, Don Ernesto B. Rufino, Jr., Grand Cross of Magistral Grace, and immediate past President of the Order of Malta Philippines was conferred the Grand Cross “Pro Merito Melitensi” of the Sovereign Order of Malta by the Grand Master.
Basey, Samar Visit
The delegation arrived in typhoon-stricken Basey town in Samar province to personally inspect the progressive core shelters that the Sovereign Order of Malta has donated. Mass was celebrated at the San Antonio de Padua Parish Church, which was totally destroyed by the typhoon aside from the wooden cross that is now perched atop the altar of the newly rebuilt church.
The enthronement of the image of Our Lady of Philermos donated by the late 
Don Romeo Villonco preceded the Eucharistic celebration. Replicas of the Marian image were also blessed and distributed to the beneficiaries of the core shelter after the liturgy. The keys to their newly blessed
homes were turned over by Malteser International President His Excellency Count Thierry de Beaumont-Beynac
Everybody happily shared and feasted on local fare that was prepared by the beneficiary community.
Malteser International, the worldwide humanitarian assistance arm of the Order of Malta, has been providing various forms of assistance to the country, including health care, hygiene intervention and disaster relief andrehabilitation.
During this visit, Fra’ Festing handed over to President Aquino the symbolic key for Malta’s donation of 700 progressive core shelters to the Philippines. Over 500 of these units have been finished.
Philippine President Aquino also conferred on the Grand Master the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Grand Collar award
and citation during the ceremony held at the Malacañang Palace.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky Soliman joined the delegation to Samar as well as the Mayor of Basey, Atty. Igmedio Ponferrada, Jr.
