AdDU confers Honoris Causa upon Archbishop Valles

The Archbishop of Davao, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D. was conferred with Doctor of Humanities honoris causa by the Ateneo de Davao University during its Commencement Exercises on 23 April 2022.

Honoris causa is a title granted to an individual of high moral qualities in recognition of the individual’s outstanding and notable contribution in his/her field of expertise.

At said ceremony, Rev. Fr. Joel E. Tabora, President of the University, conferred the honorary degree to Abp. Valles.

The Archbishop was lauded for his tireless work of evangelization as Archbishop of Davao from 2012 up to the present and for his wise leadership as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines from 2017 to 2021. Acknowledging at the same time the pastoral labors of the Archbishop who was once a shepherd of the Diocese of Kidapawan and of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, the University recognized Abp. Valles’ outstanding achievements in promoting fraternity through social friendship, dialogue, collaboration, mutual understanding and reconciliation among the powerful and the powerless in Mindanao as well as in promoting synodality in the Church.

On said Commencement Exercises, which was done online, the Archbishop expressed his gratitude to Fr. Tabora and the Ateneo de Davao University authorities for conferring upon him the honor, adding that he hoped to conduct himself in the future to be more deserving of it.

In his address to the AdDU graduates, Abp. Valles urged the graduates to make a difference, and to always lead by example – in their family, in the community, and in the country. (Secretariat – Archdiocese of Davao)