Cardinal Orlando Quevedo Receives Harmony in Diversity Award

Mindanao's lone Cardinal, Orlando B. Quevedo, 87, said "The overarching motivation for my work has been the Common Word both found in the Qur’an and in the Christian Scriptures: Love God and love your neighbor" as he accepted the inaugural Harmony in Diversity Award in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon. Quevedo recalled that the story of his work in "harmonizing diverse cultural and religious groups" began in the early 1970s when he was appointed President of the Notre Dame University (NDU) in Cotabato City. Located in the predominantly Muslim city, NDU is a Catholic university. At NDU, he initiated a program of attitudinal change for faculty and students to eliminate or significantly reduce mutual biases and prejudices among Christians, Muslims, and members of Indigenous Peoples. The initiative was successful, leading to his recognition as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines in 1973. The Cardinal shared that many older commanders of the Moro revolutionary forces were NDU graduates. He specifically mentioned Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who served as interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), studied Engineering for four years at NDU. He also noted that some members of the Bangsamoro Parliament were his students in the late 1960s. The Harmony in Diversity Award was launched on August 1, 2025, as a regional initiative to promote understanding and awareness of harmony initiatives, amplify the impact of fostering harmony in communities in Southeast Asia, and build a network of Harmony champions. Established by the Temasek Foundation in collaboration with the 5P Global Movement, the award honors individuals who have demonstrated "outstanding efforts to foster social cohesion and harmony between people of different cultures in Southeast Asia." According to organizers, more than 70 nominations from across the region were received for the inaugural award, but Quevedo was selected for his "lifelong commitment to peacebuilding, interfaith understanding and reconciliation, particularly through his sustained engagement in Mindanao over several decades." The judges highlighted his leadership in bridging communities across religious and social divides and his enduring contribution to advancing recognition and dignity for affected communities. Halimah Yacob, former President of Singapore, also lauded Quevedo's efforts "to build harmony across lines of faith," calling it "an inspiration to many." She emphasized that harmony is nurtured not just through words, but "through our everyday choices to reach out, listen and care for one another." As the first Cardinal from Mindanao, Quevedo is recognized as "a unifying figure that consistently champions a 'dialogue of life' — the everyday encounters between people of different communities — as a foundation for deepening understanding and fostering peace." He helped establish the Bishops-Ulama Conference in 1996, bringing together Catholic bishops, Protestant pastors, and Muslim ulama to create a platform for inter-religious cooperation. Bai Nariman Ambolodto, former OIC Maguindanao Governor and representative of the Office of Deputy Floor Leader Suharto Ambolodto, who nominated the Cardinal, introduced Quevedo as a "moral compass and bridge builder in Mindanao" for over 50 years. She added that through his Triple Dialogue framework — dialogue with cultures, dialogue with religions, and dialogue with the poor — Quevedo ensured that peace was not only negotiated at the highest levels but lived out in communities. Judges The nominations were reviewed by a distinguished panel of regional leaders consisting of HRH Tunku Tun Aminah, Ms Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, Mayor Joy Belmonte, Mr. Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, and Mr. Ng Boon Heong. Aminah is a member of the royal family of Johor in Malaysia, and is Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman of the Berjaya Corporation Berhad; Marsudi is an Indonesian diplomat who formerly served as the Minis Source: MindaNews Philippines (GN)