Pope Francis on Sunday appointed Bishop Prudencio Andaya Jr. of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk as the new bishop of Cabanatuan.
Andaya, 65, will succeed Bishop Sofronio Bancud, whose resignation was accepted by the pope on Dec. 8, his 76th birthday.
Bancud led the diocese, which covers the southern part of Nueva Ecija province, since January 2005.
Andaya’s appointment as the sixth bishop of Cabanatuan was also announced on the 38th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
Born in Lubuagan, a town in the northern province of Kalinga known for its rich indigenous culture, he was ordained in 1986 for the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM).
After his ordination, he was sent to Zambia, where he worked in various roles for 11 years.
In 1998, he returned to the Philippines to serve as Socius and Novice Master at the CICM Novitiate in Taytay, Rizal, before becoming bishop of Tabuk in 2003.
In the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Andaya previously served as chairman of its Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples and as vice chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Culture.
As bishop of Cabanatuan, Andaya will oversee a much larger diocese of more than 1.2 million Catholics in 30 parishes across 15 towns, including the cities of Palayan and Gapan.