Cotabato City honours two Oblates
Cotabato City honours two Oblates
The government of Cotabato City, on its 50th anniversary as a chartered city on June 19, 2009, honored 50 of her illustrious sons and daughters for their achievements and contributions to the city.
There were hundreds of nominees, living and deceased, who are considered outstanding ‘Cotabatenos’ for their life achievements, work and lives during the 50 years of the city’s chartered existence.
Among the 50 so honored in the last 50 years, two Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate were cited for their work and contribution to the City of Cotabato.
The late Canadian, Archbishop Gerard Mongeau, the first Oblate Mission Superior and Bishop of Cotabato, was recognized for his contribution to the city in the field of education through the Notre Dame School system and the Church’s social action work that gave rise to two housing projects, the Notre Dame Village and the Krislamville.
Fr. Eliseo “Jun” Mercado, former President of Notre Dame University and presently the Director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) is cited for his contribution to peace, development and clean elections as NAM- FREL Chair for Mindanao. He is known as an eminent peace advocate, both on the regional and the national levels, and for the continuing round table discussions, forums and debates that seek to shape policies that affect genuine autonomy and good governance in Mindanao, particularly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
From the end of the Second World War until the late 1960s, at least ten young Irish Oblates were sent to the Philippines to work with Bishop Mongeau and his American colleagues. Most were based at least for a time in Cotabato where they served as educators, pastors and administrators. Two of them, Frs John P. Murphy and Chris O’Leary became provincial superiors. Another, Fr Pete Moriarty led the group of young Oblates who founded our mission in Brazil in 1962.
Today this young and vibrant Oblate province is made up almost exclusively of indigenous Oblates. Of the multi-national group of Oblates who worked so effectively to serve the people of Cotabato and other parts of the country, just three Irish men and a few Americans remain.