New bishop of Tagbilaran named

National

POPE Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Gerardo Fortich Saco Jr. as the new bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, the Holy See Press Office announced on Wednesday (Manila time), March 25.

The Diocese of Tagbilaran was previously headed by Bishop Alberto Uy, who is now the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

The 60-year-old Saco is taking the role of full pastoral governance of the diocese after serving as a diocesan administrator since 2025.

A native of Tagbilaran City, Saco studied philosophy at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in his hometown. He completed his theological studies at the San Carlos Seminary in Cebu City.

Saco was ordained to the priesthood on April 26, 1993, in the diocese where he is now bishop-elect.

A report by Philstar said that Saco’s previous appointments saw him becoming the parish vicar at Saint Vincent Ferrer in Calape from 1993 to 1997, parish priest at Santa Monica in Albuquerque from 1997 to 2001, and a missionary in Libya from 2001 to 2003.

He was then assigned as a visiting priest at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Centerport, New York from 2003 to 2005, and became parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in Tagbilaran City from 2005 to 2009 and Our Lady of the Assumption in Dauis from 2009 to 2015.

Saco also served as parish priest of Holy Cross in Maribojoc and episcopal vicar for the laity from 2015 to 2021, then as parish priest of Most Holy Trinity in Tagbilaran and vicar forane from 2021 to 2025.(MyTVCebu)