Pope Leo XIV has appointed Boholano Bishop Crispin Barrete Varquez as the new bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, bringing the 65-year-old prelate back to the diocese where he was ordained a priest nearly four decades ago.
The Vatican announced the appointment on Sept. 10, 2026, naming Varquez, who has served as bishop of the Diocese of Borongan in Eastern Samar since 2007, as the eighth bishop of Tagbilaran.
Varquez succeeds Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy, who was appointed archbishop of Cebu in 2025.
His appointment ends a period of uncertainty in the Tagbilaran diocese following the withdrawal of Bishop-elect Gerardo Fortich Saco Jr. earlier this year.
A return to his home diocese Varquez was born Dec. 5, 1960, in Sevilla, Bohol.
He studied philosophy at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran and theology at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay City.
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tagbilaran on April 14, 1989.
His early ministry included assignments as parish vicar in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, and at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Nueva Ecija. He later returned to Bohol, serving as a formator at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran.
He also served as parish priest of Panglao from 1995 to 1996 and later as parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Tagbilaran. He became parish priest of St. Joseph Cathedral and eventually served as vicar general of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.
The Vatican appointed Varquez bishop of Borongan on Aug. 4, 2007, during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
He received his episcopal ordination in Tagbilaran on Oct. 18, 2007, and was installed as bishop of Borongan on Nov. 8 that year.
He has led the Eastern Samar diocese for nearly two decades.
Experience in church leadership
Beyond his pastoral work, Varquez has held leadership positions within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
He served two consecutive terms on the CBCP Permanent Council from 2013 to 2017 and chaired the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Women from 2019 to 2025.
He currently serves as vice chairman of the CBCP Committee on Bishops’ Concerns and as a member of the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace.
His episcopal motto is “Humilitas et Simplicitas,” or “Humility and Simplicity.” He speaks Cebuano, Waray-Waray, Filipino and English.
Bohol roots
The Diocese of Tagbilaran was established in 1941 and covers portions of Bohol. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
Varquez’s appointment is momentous for Bohol Catholics because he returns to the diocese where his priestly vocation began and where he spent much of his early ministry.
His return also comes after a brief but unusual succession process.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Saco as bishop of Tagbilaran in March 2026.
Saco later withdrew from the appointment before his scheduled episcopal ordination, saying his decision followed prayer and careful discernment and reflected his awareness of his own limitations. He continued serving as diocesan administrator.
With Varquez’s appointment, the Tagbilaran diocese now has a bishop who is both a native of Bohol and a former priest of the local Church.
For many Boholanos, his return marks a homecoming after 19 years of episcopal ministry in Eastern Samar and places an experienced diocesan leader at the helm of the Bohol church.