Philippines: The new Diocese of Prosperidad to focus on scholarship program, livelihood projects for the poor

Hundreds of church leaders, government officials, and laity attended the installation of the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Prosperidad, Ruben C. Labajo, on January 28 at the Saint Michael the Archangel Cathedral in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines.

Forty bishops, mostly coming from Mindanao, 300 priests from different dioceses, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown, Jose Cardinal Advincula of the Manila Archdiocese and key officials of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) attended the event.

Besides, hundreds of friends and supporters from Cebu, including two town mayors, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., parishioners from Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte, and local government officials witnessed the installation of Bishop Labajo.

The religious rites of Bishop Labajo’s installation were the highlights of the two-day event, but there was a fiesta vibe to the celebration.

People lined up on both sides of the streets waving colorful buntings as Labajo’s vehicle passed by escorted by a motorcade, street dancing, lunch and dinner, cultural nights, songs, dances, and speeches of well wishes in between for the first Bishop of Prosperidad.

Media extensively covered the activities, broadcasting them live on Facebook.

Interviewed online by Radio Veritas Asia, Fr. Ramsez Oñez, Chancellor of the Diocese of Butuan, said the mother diocese organized and prepared the program in collaboration with local government.

“We are grateful for the support of the local government,” he said.

On hand to greet Bishop Labajo upon his arrival in Butuan City were Bishop Cosme Damian Almedilla of the Diocese of Butuan and Surigao del Sur Governor Santiago Cane, Jr.

Bishop Labajo answered questions about his plans for the new diocese at a press conference shortly after he arrived in Patin-ay, Prosperidad.

Labajo said that he would first get to know the diocesan clergy and familiarize himself with the current state of affairs in the diocese.

He added that he might replicate projects he helped set up in Cebu, like a scholarship program and livelihood projects for the poor.

He clarified that he would refer to Bishop Almedilla for advice.

The Diocese of Prosperidad has 25 parishes and two quasi-parishes, three mission stations, 766 chapels, 61 clergy members (31 diocesan priests, 29 religious priests), two religious congregations (nuns), and one hermit.

With a population of 739,367, including 486,251 baptized Catholics, Agusan del Sur stands as one of the four largest provinces in the Philippines.

Labajo reported that his new province is one of the largest and poorest in the country.

Asked how the new diocese will sustain itself financially, Bishop Almedilla said that the Diocese of Butuan, the mother diocese of Prosperidad, will give one-half of its central fund or liquid assets to the infant diocese.

He added that he is confident that in due time, Bishop Labajo will be able to provide for the needs of the new diocese.

“The approval of carving a new diocese from the Diocese of Butuan is not to make Prosperidad a vicariate or a prelature, but as a diocese. The key factor is Prosperidad’s per capita, or population,” according to Bishop Almedilla.

“Prosperidad is better off than the Diocese of Batanes or Diocese of Basilan,” Bishop Almedilla said in Cebuano, suggesting that the two are small dioceses.

He referred to the population of Agusan del Sur as a driver of better economic days ahead for the province and the new diocese.

Fr. Oñez told Radio Veritas Asai that the mission Diocese of Prosperidad covers an area of wide forest lands and mountain ranges where communities need spiritual and physical support.

These outlying and remote areas have been penetrated by other religious denominations and could be a major challenge for the new bishop, according to Fr. Oñez.

On the other hand, the period of transition from the Archdiocese of Cebu to a mission province may not be a hurdle for Bishop Labajo, judging by how the diocesan clergy welcomed him with open arms, Fr. Oñez said.

Pope Francis created the new Diocese of Prosperidad in October 2024, carving out a new territory from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Butuan, which now covers parishes in the province of Agusan del Norte.

The Diocese of Prosperidad is the 87th Roman Catholic diocese in the country.

At the time of appointment, Bishop Labajo was the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu.