The new bishop of Tagbilaran urged government leaders and other sectors to pursue tourism and economic growth without sacrificing the environment, the people in general, and Boholano culture.
In his homily at the installation Mass Tuesday at Tagbilaran Cathedral, Bishop Crispin Varquez said the number of tourists and jobs generated by tourism alone is not the measure of true development.
He urged Bohol to welcome visitors from around the world without losing the identity and traditions of Boholanos.
Development, Varquez said, must protect the environment, respect workers and local communities, and preserve Boholano culture for future generations.
He also called for unity among the Church, government and other sectors to strengthen the Church’s mission of spreading the Gospel, and urged the faithful to show their faith through words, humility, love and good example.
Varquez thanked the people of Eastern Samar, where he served for 19 years as bishop of Borongan.
He recalled the hardships they faced, including the massive damage caused by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
A native of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, Varquez was appointed bishop of Borongan by Pope Francis in 2007. Pope Leo XIV named him the eighth bishop of Tagbilaran on Sept. 10, 2026, ending a year-long vacancy in the diocese.
Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy, Varquez’s predecessor in Tagbilaran, led the installation with the assistance of Archbishop Charles Brown, the papal nuncio to the Philippines.
Hundreds of worshippers from Bohol and Borongan attended, along with about 50 bishops from across the country.
Talibon Bishop
Meanwhile, Bishop Patrick Daniel Parcon called on Catholics in the Diocese of Talibon to turn the agreements reached at its first diocesan synod into concrete action rather than leave them as recommendations.
Parcon made the appeal in his homily at the closing Mass Oct. 23, 2026 at Talibon Cathedral.
The synod, which coincided with the diocese’s 40th anniversary, brought together 220 delegates, including priests, members of religious orders and lay people, over five days from Oct. 19.
“Our synod cannot be another beautiful document that stays in a drawer. We must settle it on the way. Today, commit now,” Parcon said.
He said the diocese must change how it carries out its ministry by placing greater value on personal accompaniment of the faithful and broader cooperation between clergy and laity.
“It is time to move from maintenance to mission, from clericalism to collaboration, and from programs to accompaniment,” he said.
Parcon said he welcomed discussions at the synod in which ordinary Catholics sought a deeper and more meaningful role in the Church’s mission.
“We read that our lay faithful no longer want to be just volunteers. They want to be co-responsible disciples, collaborators in our mission,” he said.
The diocese set as priorities strengthening Basic Ecclesial Communities, expanding lay participation and giving more active care to the poor and marginalized. Parcon said he hoped the new direction would shape a synodal Church that listens and responds to people’s needs.
Bohol to reopen whale shark watching in November as it seeks to revive tourism
In another news, Bohol’s provincial government will resume whale shark watching in November as part of efforts to revive the province’s tourism sector, Gov. Aris Aumentado said.
Aumentado made the announcement in his State of the Province Address on Oct. 9, in which he acknowledged that tourist arrivals have fallen this year. He said the decline has also been seen nationwide and globally, and that the province has taken aggressive steps to boost tourism.
The activity will reopen more than a year after Aumentado suspended it in February 2025. He warned that rules for safe and responsible wildlife encounters will be strictly enforced, and that feeding whale sharks will remain prohibited to protect the animals and their habitat.
Panglao’s Virgin Island reopened to the public in February after being temporarily closed in September 2024.
Bohol hopes to return to the tourism levels of 2025, when 1.49 million tourists visited the province and generated P26 billion pesos in revenue, a 12% increase from 2024.
South Korea remained the top foreign market at 44%, followed by Spain and Australia. The province now has 1,000 tourism establishments and more than 13,000 rooms.
The province also launched a Tourism Recovery Plan focused on expanding air and sea links. Among the developments are direct chartered flights between Bohol and Japan and a new international route to Bali, Indonesia, operated by Citilink. Since October, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have added Manila-Bohol flights using larger aircraft to meet rising passenger demand.