Pope Francis has appointed Claretian priest Elias Ayuban Jr. as the new bishop of the Diocese of Cubao.
The announcement, made on Friday, Oct. 4, and posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, marks a significant milestone as Ayuban becomes the first missionary priest to lead the 21-year-old diocese.
Ayuban succeeds Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, the diocese's first bishop, whose resignation was accepted upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Ongtioco was installed the same day the diocese was canonically established in August 2003.
Fifty-six-year-old Ayuban will be the second Filipino Claretian to hold the title of bishop, following Bishop Leo Dalmao of the Prelature of Isabela de Basilan.
The late Bishop José María Querejeta, the first prelate of Basilan, was also a Claretian but of Spanish descent.
Before his appointment, Ayuban served as the provincial superior of the Claretian missionaries in the Philippine Province since 2019, overseeing missions that extend to Australia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
He holds a doctorate in canon law and has previously taught at the Claretianum in Rome.
He also worked as an official at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Since 2022, Ayuban has also been co-chairperson of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines.