History professor receives Papal Award

Dr. Rene Escalante, a professor of History at De La Salle University, has been honored with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For Church and Pope) Papal Award, the highest papal honor given to lay individuals.

Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, DD, the incoming president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), presented the medal to Escalante during the Archdiocesan Celebration of Pope’s Day on June 30, 2025 at the Minor Basilica and Parish of St. Martin of Tours in Taal, Batangas.

The tradition of recognizing outstanding service to the Church began during the papacy of Leo XIII in 1888.
Escalante received the award in recognition of his work as chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), where he oversaw the restoration of numerous heritage churches.

He was cited for “his dedicated service and significant impact within the Archdiocese of Lipa from 2017 to the present. He led efforts to restore the Taal Basilica in 2019 and helped in resolving heritage and legal issues concerning Taal Basilica.”

The citation further states that “his initiative to be a consultant to the Archdiocese on the conservation of built heritage in Batangas has been instrumental in preserving religious cultural heritage.”

Escalante previously served as NHCP commissioner and was elected as its chairman in 2017.