H.E. Maria Lourdes Bernadette Z. Banson is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the Republic of the Philippines. Appointed in October 2025, she presented her credentials to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June 2026. Born in Manila, she graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Psychology from St. Paul College Manila in 1980. She is married to Jose Antonio T. Banson, with whom she shares five children and has fostered 22 babies.

Ambassador Banson’s diplomatic role continues a distinguished family legacy; her late father, National Artist for Architecture H.E. José María Zaragoza, served as the Order’s Ambassador to the Philippines from 1990 to 1994. A dedicated member of the Order since 2013, she was invested as a Dame of Magistral Grace in 2014 and subsequently served as Embassy Counsellor and Council Member of the Philippine Association.

Beyond diplomacy, Ambassador Banson brings over three decades of executive leadership in corporate management, faith-based media, and community development. As past President of the Family Rosary Crusade, she directed major ecclesial initiatives such as A Million Roses for the World.
She also spearheaded the Maryville Urban Development Foundation’s partnership with Gawad Kalinga, building over 100 homes for informal settler families. Blending corporate acumen with a lifelong commitment to social impact, Ambassador Banson continues to advance the Order’s humanitarian mission across the Philippines.