The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has honored Mrs. Noemi Saludo with its highest award, the Bishop Jorge Barlin Golden Cross Award, for her decades of service restoring and building churches across the country.
The award was presented July 1 after a Mass at Tagbilaran Cathedral, presided over by CBCP President Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David during the bishops’ annual retreat.
Saludo, founder and president of the Bahay ng Diyos Foundation Inc., was recognized for her dedication to preserving and enhancing churches and liturgical spaces, especially in underserved communities.
Under her continued leadership, the foundation has supported the construction, restoration, and rehabilitation of almost a hundred of worship sites across the country.
David called Saludo “a woman of competence and integrity” whose quiet commitment has deeply enriched the spiritual life of Filipino Catholics.
“Her work has never been about stone or cement alone,” David said. “It has always been deeply rooted in faith, marked by a deep love for the Church, and animated by her desire to serve Christ in His people.”
He recognized her collaboration with bishops, clergy, and pastoral workers as a model of “genuine synodality — walking together, building together, praying together.”
The citation highlighted Saludo’s leadership in revitalizing sacred spaces as “vibrant centers of worship and heritage,” reflecting the missionary spirit of Bishop Barlin, the first Filipino bishop and the award’s namesake.
Now 90, Saludo continues to mobilize donors, artisans, and architects in service to the Church’s evangelizing mission.
She has also received multiple honors for her charitable and community work, including the papal Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in 2022.
Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, archbishop emeritus of Manila, and Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, archbishop emeritus of Cotabato, also congratulated Saludo on receiving the award.
“The CBCP has finally found an ally in the care for churches, chapels, and cathedrals and forgotten ‘bisitas’ and ‘tuklongs,’” Rosales said.
“May your service for the Church bring more and more hope to others and be an inspiration to many,” Quevedo said.
