Pope names Mati bishop as new head of Davao archdiocese

MANILA, Philippines — Mati Bishop Abel Apigo was appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the new archbishop of Davao, succeeding Archbishop Romulo Valles, who already reached the mandatory retirement age for bishops, according to CBCP News.

Apigo was appointed as the second bishop of Mati by Pope Francis in 2018.

He completed his philosophical and theological studies at St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao (SFX-REMASE) before being ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Davao in 1994.

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He served as a parochial  vicar at San Pedro Cathedral from 1994 to 1996 before leaving for Rome, where he earned a licentiate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2000.

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He has held various positions at SFX-REMASE, including professor, vice rector and dean, before becoming rector of the seminary in 2006 and was later appointed episcopal vicar for the clergy of the archdiocese in 2014.

Valles, who previously served as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in July.

Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation on Monday, Nov. 9, marking the conclusion of his almost 14-year shepherding of the Archdiocese of Davao.