Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Philippines

On the 3rd of June 2026, H.E. Maria Lourdes Bernadette Z. Banson, Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta to the Republic of the Philippines, formally presented her Letter of Credence to His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, during the presentation of credentials ceremony at the Malacañan Palace.

📸 Official photos from the Presidential Communications Office

Our Lady of Philermos is the symbol of the Order of Malta’s Marian Spirituality and serves as its Protector and Patroness. The birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 8th of September is celebrated as a solemnity in the Order of Malta under the title of Our Lady of Philermos.

Get to know the icon of Our Lady of Philermos, its history with the Knights, and the Order’s devotion to the Madonna through this feature.



To learn more about the Order’s Celebrations and Dedications, visit:https://orderofmaltaamerican.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Calendar-of-Liturgical-Celebrations-Proper-to-The-Order.pdf

Saint John the Baptist is the spiritual Patron Saint of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta.

His name is in the official title of the Order, as the hospice from which the Order traces its origins was located beside a monastery dedicated to the saint.

Knights and Dames of the Order look to Saint John to ask for his intercession to guide their mission and commitment to serving the poor and the sick.

As described by the Order, “If one wanted a patron, one wanted a powerful one, and Saint John the Baptist was about as close to the Lord as one could get. He was the epitome of obedience, poverty, self-sacrifice, humility, and dedication to serving others. He suffered much in guiding the people in the path of the Lord, and suffered martyrdom for his efforts: certainly a defender of the faith.”

The Order celebrates the 24th of June, the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, as its National Day. His martyrdom is also commemorated by the Order every 29th of August as part of its Calendar of Liturgical Celebrations Proper to the Order as the ‘Beheading of St. John the Baptist, Patron of the Order’.



To learn more about the Order’s Celebrations and Dedications, visit:https://orderofmaltaamerican.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Calendar-of-Liturgical-Celebrations-Proper-to-The-Order.pdf

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta primarily uses two flags: the State Flag and the Flag of the Order’s works. Each serves a distinct purpose and should be used accordingly to represent the Order properly. Join us as we explore what these flags are, their purpose, and their stories.



📸 Photo from the Sovereign Order of Malta

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta issues passports, but this privilege is only given to select Knights and Dames who work on behalf of the Order.

The Order issues two types of passports: diplomatic and service. These passports can only be used officially, and their validity expires at the end of the holder’s term in office.

Diplomatic passports are given to high-ranking officials within the Order, such as the members of the Sovereign Council (the government of the Order) and the Ambassadors of the Order’s diplomatic corps. Spouses and minor children of full-time diplomats are also eligible for this passport, should they choose to avail themselves of one. On the other hand, service passports are issued to figures entrusted to head special missions of the Order.

These passports are one of the rarest in the world, with around 500 diplomatic passports and 50 service passports in circulation. They can also be distinguished by color: diplomatic passports are crimson red, while service passports are black.



📸 Photo from the Sovereign Order of Malta

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩: On the 28th of April 2026, the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Philippines was invited by the Ateneo Association of European Studies Students to hold a booth at the Ateneo de Manila University for the organization’s career convention. Students at the university had the chance to learn more about the Sovereign Order of Malta, its mission in the Philippines, and its developing internship and volunteer opportunities.

The Embassy’s Executive Assistant, Ms. Vida Misa, spoke about her experience with the Embassy during the event's culminating talks. The forum was also attended by the Ambassador-designate, who engaged with the youth and answered questions about humanitarian diplomacy.



📸 Official photos from the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Philippines and the Ateneo Association of European Studies Students

Despite existing for over 900 years, the Order of Malta’s presence in the Philippines is relatively recent, only arriving on the country’s shores in the last century. The Philippine Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta was formally established in 1957, with this year marking the 69th anniversary of the Order in the country. With almost seven decades of history to celebrate, let us look back on the Order’s journey and how its experiences formed the Order into what it is today.



📸 Photo from the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines

On the 30th of April 2026, the Ambassador-designate of the Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the Philippines, H.E. Maria Lourdes Bernadette Z. Banson, was received by Assistant Secretary and Chief of Protocol Ariel R. Peñaranda, for the Presentation of Open Copies of Letters of Credence.

She was accompanied by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, a chaplain of the Order of Malta in the Philippines, and the Executive Assistant of the Embassy, Ms. Vida Misa.

📸 Official photos from DFA-OPD (James Ryan Artiaga)

Sovereign Military Order of Malta or the Republic of Malta? What’s the difference?

The Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Philippines occasionally receives messages and correspondence intended for the Republic of Malta, reflecting a common misunderstanding among the general public between the two distinct entities.

The Embassy has prepared this explainer to help the public distinguish between the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Republic of Malta and to understand their deep historical and cultural connection.

Have more questions? Feel free to leave a comment below, and we’ll be happy to answer it.