Cotabato – Recognizing his commitment to dialogue, his mediation work in relations between the government and rebel groups, his contribution to building harmony among different religious denominations, and to peacemaking in Mindanao: with this motivation, Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cotabato, a diocese located on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, has been chosen to receive the “Harmony in Diversity Award” on July 15 in Jakarta, Indonesia. This award “promotes aspirations for social harmony and seeks to broaden the impact of promoting social cohesion in Southeast Asia.”
The 87-year-old Archbishop Emeritus of Cotabato was nominated for this award by the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority, a predominantly Muslim region, for his “exceptional efforts to promote social cohesion and harmony among people from different cultures in Southeast Asia.”
The jury recognized the Cardinal’s commitment “to embodying the values that form the basis of the ‘Harmony in Diversity’ Award: promoting understanding amid differences, building bridges between communities, and fostering a spirit of mutual respect and inclusion,” said Halimah Yacob, Chair of the Commission, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Singapore Parliament, and currently Chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
The Harmony in Diversity Award Foundation highlighted that, according to the 2025 “Southeast Asian Social Cohesion Radar,” a study conducted by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, the region’s average social cohesion index reaches 72.4%, reflecting a growing awareness among the people of Southeast Asian countries of the concept of “harmony in diversity,” precisely the goal of this award.
“In times of uncertainty, we must not be discouraged. We must continue to build bridges across divisions and walk side by side. The Harmony in Diversity Award is a recognition for those who have chosen to overcome fractures, promote social cohesion and harmony in Southeast Asia, and inspire new initiatives,” stated Yacob, thanking the Temasek Foundation and the 5P Global Movement , entities that promote and support the “Harmony in Diversity Award.” Cardinal Orlando Quevedo served as rector of the University of Notre Dame Cotabato, Bishop of Kidapawan from 1980 to 1986, Archbishop of Nueva Segovia from 1986 to 1998, and Archbishop of Cotabato from 1998 until 2018, when Pope Francis elevated him to Cardinal. As president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines for two terms , during a period marked by armed conflict in Mindanao, he was an advocate for mediation and peace dialogue. He was one of the key figures and promoters of the comprehensive agreement on Bangsamoro between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front , signed in March 2014, as well as of the Organic Law for the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao , approved in July 2018 and ratified in January 2019 with the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority. According to the established schedule, BARMM will hold its first parliamentary elections—long postponed—on September 14, 2026.
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