Cardinal Vidal to get highest honor from city

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council has approved the conferment of Rajah Humabon Lifetime Achievement Award to Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal in the upcoming 74th Cebu City Charter Day celebration on February 24.

This will be the second time that Vidal will get the same award from the city after serving 29 years as cardinal of Cebu. He received the same award in 2006 during the time of former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

Mayor Michael Rama, in an interview with reporters, said there is nothing wrong in giving the award to Vidal even if he already received it five years ago.

The award, according to Rama, is the highest the city can give especially to Vidal who has “done gratuitous acts to the general citizenry of extreme magnitude.”

In 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed Vidal as coadjutor archbishop of Cebu. He became Cebu archbishop in 1982, then cardinal in 1985. He took part in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI after Pope John Paul II died in 2005.

Vidal submitted his resignation letter to the Vatican in 2006 when he reached the age of 75, the mandatory age of retirement for bishops. But the Pope did not accept his resignation and extended his term. After four extensions, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation and appointed Palo Archbishop Jose Palma as his successor on Oct. 15, 2010.

Just like Vidal, Sinulog Foundation Ricardo Ballesteros will be receiving a Mayor’s Special Award. He was also one of the awardees of the Mayor’s Special Award in 2006.

Rama said he picked Ballesteros because of the successful celebration of the Sinulog Festival, along with the other awardees for Mayor’s Special Awards including Garcia-Escano Family, International Pharmaceutical Inc., Balik Cebu Program, WTG Construction, Cebu Contractors Association, Humane Society and the City of Kortrijik in Belgium.

The Council, through the resolution sponsored by Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, also approved the conferment of special awards for outstanding institutions and individuals.

The awardees for outstanding individuals are former city councilor Nestor Archival, Augustus Ouano, Cris Evert Lato and Leslie Ryan Go. Outstanding institutions are Bantay Banay Cebu and the Kapunungan sa mga Banikanhong Mag-uuma alang sa Ekonomikanhong Kalambuan.

Alfonso and Ernesto Aboitiz will also receive Posthumous Award while former city police director Patrocinio Commendador Jr., will also get a special award for the city’s peace and order.

The awarding will be held at the Casino Español on February 24, which is the day when Cebu City earned the status of an independent and chartered city in 1937. (FREEMAN)