Priest among TOCA awardees

CEBU, Philippines - A married priest, who also contributes articles to The Freeman, is among the recipients of this year’s “The Outstanding Cebuano Award.”

Reverend Father-turned-real father Agustin Sollano Jr. will be awarded in the field of Arts and Humanities on August 16 at the Sacred Heart Center in Cebu City.

Sollano was born on October 14, 1939 in Borbon, Cebu where he finished his elementary education. He finished secondary education at the Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City where he also graduated Bachelor of Arts and earned his Masters of Arts in Philosophy. He graduated summa cum laude.

Sollano obtained his Doctor of Philosophy  at the University of San Carlos. The Societas Verbi Divini  sent him to Rome, Italy in order to finish his theological studies at the Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana run by the Jesuits where he graduated A.B. Theology.

The late Julio Cardinal Rosales ordained him a priest forever on April 6, 1968. He served in the active ministry of the Roman Catholic Priesthood for 11 years, two of which as a scholar of the Archdiocese of Cebu to take up Sacred Scriptures at the Biblicum, also run by the Jesuits. He passed Propaedeutic Greek and Hebrew.

Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal officiated his church wedding on March 27, 1991, 11 years after his application for a “dispensation” – a permission from the Pope for a validly ordained priest to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Sollano became a professor at San Carlos Seminary College, University of San Carlos, Cebu Normal University, and the University of Cebu.

His previous works include From Reverend Father To Real Father published in 1979, Father-A Married Priest Writes To His Children published in 1985, and Kenosis-A Married Priest’s Story which saw print in 2002.

Other TOCA awardees are Architect Maria Sarah Abadia (Architecture), Enrison Benedicto (Management), Dr. Paulus Mariae Cañete (Education), Casimiro Madarang III (Government Service), Alfio Malinao Sr. (Science and Technology), Jose Navarro (Public Service), Engineer Ramon Picornell (Engineering), Atty. Tomas Riveral (Law and Poverty Alleviation), and Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. (Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management).

 Now on its 14th year, TOCA aims to honor outstanding Cebuanos on their contributions in the community and in nation building.

The awarding ceremony will be the main highlight of Bantay Radyo’s “Tingog Sa Lungsod Program” 32nd Anniversary and co-presented by the Publishers Association of the Philippines Cebu chapter. (FREEMAN)