A bishop in the southern Philippines baptized 100 members of an indigenous community in the Diocese of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte, on July 19.
As part of his Jubilee Year pilgrimage, Bishop Severo Cagátan Caermare accepted the invitation of Fr. Joel Jag Pacquiao Agad, parish priest, to visit St. John Marie Vianney Chapel in Suminugod, Barangay Gibo. It is the farthest and most difficult chapel to reach in the parish of St. Joseph the Worker in Sindangan.
The occasion marked the first-ever baptism in this Subanon community. The chapel itself was only built in May 2025through the Love the Poor Program, following the parish’s initial outreach visit in December 2024.
A total of 67 infants and children were baptized, while 33 adults and 10 adolescents, aged between 12 and 70, received both Baptism and Confirmation. They had undergone six months of catechetical instruction in preparation.
Bishop Caermare brought wafers and candies for the children and shared a joyful Christian banquet with the community after the Mass.
Located in the Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao, the Subanon are among the region’s oldest indigenous peoples. Traditionally settled along rivers—their name derived from suba or soba, meaning "river"—they are often called the “people of the river.”
The Subanon have a rich cultural heritage and continue to live in geographically remote areas, often underserved by basic pastoral services.
This historic baptism event reflects the Church’s commitment to reaching the peripheries and walking in solidarity with indigenous communities.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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