MANILA, Philippines -- Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim dedicated one minute of prayer to former president Corazon Aquino, who is battling colon cancer, during a tribute to achievers near the end of the Women's Month.

Lim, a former police official who became close to Aquino, asked the audience during the Soroptimists of Manila event at the City Hall to take a moment of silence and pray for the speedy recovery of the country's first woman president.

Several women were honored Wednesday for the achievements in various fields.

Among the women honored by the group on were: Ana Maria Bacudio and Dr. Cristina Lim Yuson for education; Josefina Chua and Bae Norhaina Lucman for health and sanitation; Zenaida de Castro and Remedios P. Erana for humanitarian service; Shirley Bondoc and Pablita Lagasca for livelihood; and Police Chief Insp. Teresita Lim and Inspector Medina Olego for peace and order.

An exhibit on trailblazing women, including Philippine Daily Inquirer editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez Magsanoc as the country's first woman EIC of a national daily newspaper, was also put up at the Villegas Hall. Aquino, who was catapulted to the presidency through the 1986 People Power revolution, was also among those cited.

Quoting Diane Mariechild on women, Lim said: "A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform. That is why today we are going to honor and acknowledge these outstanding women."