Who is new Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy?

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Cebu’s newest archbishop is an environmentalist and anti-corruption advocate

CEBU, Philippines – Pope Leo XIV named Tagbilaran Bishop Alberto Uy as the new archbishop of Cebu, replacing retiring Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

Palma has reached the retirement age of 75 after serving for more than 14 years as archbishop. He succeeded the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal who served for nearly three decades.

Uy will become Cebu’s fifth archbishop, leading a new age for the province known for being the cradle of Christianity in the Philippines.

“Bishop Abet” — as he is called by his followers in Bohol — was born in the town of Ubay on October 18, 1966. He studied philosophy at the the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran City, and theology at the St. John Mary Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City.

At St. John, he earned his baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and Masters in Pastoral Ministry. Soon after, Uy got his licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Loyola School of Theology in Quezon City.

His studies would not stop there as he went to Rome between 2002 to 2006 to earn his doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Prior to this, he had been ordained a priest on April 14, 1993.

In October 2016, Pope Francis appointed Uy as bishop and in January 2017, he was installed as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.

Throughout his episcopal career, Uy has joined several campaigns to protect the environment and has spoken against corruption in government, becoming an important voice among other religious leaders in the Visayas.

In the first quarter of 2024, Uy called out bad actors involved in the cutting of centuries-old Acacia trees for the development of a gasoline station, and condemned the defacing of Chocolate Hills in Bohol province where a resort was constructed.

In December 2024, the bishop urged his fellow Boholanos to think twice about supporting a proposed Cebu-Bohol bridge, pointing out the prevalent corruption in government infrastructure projects.

In the middle of debates during the controversial arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March, Uy called on Filipinos to revisit their love of country anchored on justice, and asked the country’s leaders to guarantee accountability, transparency, and fairness.

Uy’s connection to Cebu goes way back to October 2024, when he spoke at the Cebu’s Archdiocesan General Catechists’ Assembly, telling 5,000 Cebuano Catechists to remind them of their calling to become heralds of hope.

“Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” Uy said, quoting the famous words of Saint Padre Pio. – Rappler.com