Philippines Bishops’ Conference Elects New Leaders to National Offices

On July 6, during its 130th plenary assembly held in Anda, Bohol, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) elected new leaders to three of its major national offices.

Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa was elected as the next president of the CBCP. The 66-year-old prelate will succeed Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, who was elected to the post in July 2021. David’s second term ends in November. CBCP officials serve two-year terms and may be re-elected once.

Garcera currently serves on the CBCP Permanent Council as the regional representative for Southeast Luzon. He has been Archbishop of Lipa in Batangas province home to more than 3.3 million Catholics since 2017. He previously chaired the CBCP Commission on Mission and the Commission on Family and Life.

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres in 1983, Garcera also served as assistant secretary-general of the CBCP, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Mission, and national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies before being appointed Bishop of Daet in 2007. He was one of three Philippine bishops who served as delegates to the Synod on the Family at the Vatican in 2014.

In another major development, Archbishop Julius Tonel of Zamboanga was elected vice president of the bishops’ collegial body. He will replace Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig, whose second and final term also ends in November.

Tonel was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Davao in 1980 and became Bishop of Ipil in 2007. Sixteen years later, in 2023, he was appointed Archbishop of Zamboanga. He currently chairs the CBCP Committee on Bishops’ Concerns and previously served as chairman of the CBCP Commission on Liturgy.

According to CBCP News, Garcera, Tonel, and the other newly elected members of the Permanent Council will officially assume office on December 1, 2025.

Meanwhile, Caritas Philippines announced via social media that Bishop Gerry Alminaza of San Carlos has been elected Chairperson of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace, and President of Caritas Philippines. He will succeed Bishop Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, who has held the post since 2019.

Known for his strong advocacy for environmental protection, human rights, and social justice, Bishop Alminaza will now lead the Church’s efforts in promoting justice, peace, and integral human development through Caritas Philippines.