By I. Inojales | 07:21 PM March 25, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY — The Vatican has appointed a new bishop to lead the Diocese of Tagbilaran, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Pope Pope Leo XIV has named Father Gerardo Saco Jr. as the new bishop of the diocese, the CBCP confirmed in its announcement.
The Vatican released the appointment on Wednesday at noon in Rome (7 p.m. in the Philippines). Apostolic Nuncio Charles Brown relayed the pope’s decision to the CBCP in Manila.
Saco has been serving as diocesan administrator of Tagbilaran since October 2025, following the transfer of Archbishop Alberto Uy to the Archdiocese of Cebu.
He succeeds Uy, who served the diocese for about eight years before his reassignment in September 2025.
Before his appointment, Saco was the vicar general of the diocese. He also chairs the diocesan Commission on Social Action and serves as priest-in-charge of St. Vincent Ferrer Mission Station in Barangay Cabawan, Tagbilaran City.
Saco is the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, which was established in 1941.
The CBCP said his appointment marks a new phase in the leadership of the local Church in Bohol, which continues to serve a predominantly Catholic population.
