The Birth of AVT

On August 10, 1992, Manila Bulletin reported …
“Pope Names New Vicars for Northern Luzon.”

In this issue “Pope John Paul II has appointed three Filipino Apostolic Vicars to the newly established ecclesiastical territory in the Mountain Province. Apostolic Nuncio Gian Moreni said that the appointment of the First Apostolic Vicars was in response to the request of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and of the Apostolic Vicar of the Mt. Provinces ….. the newly appointed Vicars were Msgr. Ernesto Salgado as the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of Baguio and the province of Benguet; Rev. Fr. Brigido Galasgas as the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of Bontoc-Lagawe for the provinces of Ifugao and Mt. Province; and Rev. Fr. Carlito Cenzon, CICM as the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of Tabuk for the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao.

On August 10, 1992, the “Parish Power”, Pope John Paul II acceded to the request of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and from the Apostolic Vicariate of the Mountain Provinces emerged three new Apostolic Vicariates to be known as Baguio-Benguet, Bontoc-Lagawe and Tabuk.

On November 26, 1992 at nine o’clock in the morning at the Baguio Cathedral was the consecration of Frs. Brigido Galasgas and Carlito Cenzon, CICM to the episcopate, and the installation of Bishop Ernesto Salgado as the first Apostolic Vicar of Baguio-Benguet.
On November 27, 1992 at nine o’clock in the morning at the Sta. Rita Church of Bontoc, Mt. Province, Bishop Brigido Galasgas was installed as the first Apostolic Vicar of Bontoc-Lagawe.
On December 5, 1992 at nine o’clock in the morning at St. William the Hermit Church in Bulanao, Tabuk, Kalinga was the ordination of Bishop Carlito Cenzon as the first Apostolic Vicar of Tabuk.
The three Vicariates and their own Apostolic Vicars were conceived to everyone’s awe and wonder.

THE AVT SHEPHERDS

BISHOP CARLITO J. CENZON, CICM, DD

1992-2003

Baguio – born and bred, he spent his grade school years in Holy Family, Campo Filipino. There, he had a classmate who became a bishop, Msgr. Gregorio now in Bacolod. After his high school in St. Louis Boys’ High, together with three classmates, he decided to join CICM and become a missionary. After his two years of juniorate, he started his novitiate under Fr. Oscar Adriansens. He took his first vow on May 31, 1959. After his third year theology in San Carlos Seminary, he was ordained priest in Maryhurst on July 9, 1965. After completion of theology, he was given a two-year stint of tough missionary experience in remote Natonin.

While being a Vocation Director in the Metro-Manila area for a year, he took up graduate studies in history at Ateneo University until 1971. He was next prevailed upon to be Rector of Maryshore Seminary in Bacolod.
The time had come now when he asked to be assigned in a mission province. He chose Brazil. In the course of 197, he was ready to depart for his mission after a long wait in Belgium for his entry papers. He used this time to engage in a bit of language study.

He worked for 10 years in a variety of destination some quite deep in the hinterland. In 1982, he accepted to become again, the Vocation Director in the Manila area, but the following year, he was assigned as Vice-Provincial, a task he carried on until 1987. Elected as chapter Delegate, he was picked out by his fellow-capitulants to become the first Filipino to serve as General Assistant at the Casa Generalizia in Rome.

This year his term was suddenly cut short by his appointment as Apostolic Vicar of the newly created Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk. After his Episcopal ordination on November 25, 1992, he took up residence in Bulanao, Tabuk.
This will definitely be no “security” but a very demanding service commitment for our first Filipino confrere to join the hierarchy.

Accepting the Stewardship …..

As I write this message to you, I’m looking at a souvenir from students of STS, Tabuk, given to me after I led them in a Retreat, back in the late 60’s. As I was saying goodbye, some of them said, “Come back to us, Father.”

I have kept this souvenir in my tranks, among the prized items given by friends made along the way as I went about God’s business as a CICM missionary priest.

This souvenir triggers memories of other encounters with various communities in Kalinga-Apayao. In the many opportunities I have had to go among its people especially when I held the function of Vice-Provincial of the CICM Missionaries in the Philippines, in my visits to the missionaries, you were the topic of our exchanges and concerns, as we reflected on how to help you appreciate better and experience the message of Jesus about the Kingdom.

I did not know that the Lord of the Mission would demand something more of me, that I pitch my tent among you and be your bishop in the newly created Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk.

I am accepting this task with joy . . . as one who has always felt one with your missionaries, as one who because of privileged encounters with you and your missionaries has always felt he belonged.

I therefore am coming back to you not as one with a burden to carry, but rather as one who comes back to resume a journey. It is a gift given by the Lord of the Mission; that I spend the years after my silver jubilee as a priest among those who were one of my first joys as a younger priest.

Even as I write this message, I look forward to being with you. Pray with me that God will bless our journey together towards His Kingdom.

Your brother,

CARLITO J. CENZON

DUC IN ALTUM
COAT OF ARMS OF
BISHOP CARLITO J. CENZON, CICM, DD

The Christian people of God in the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao will long remember August 6, 1992 when the Holy See (Rome) announced the division of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Mountain Provinces into three namely: Baguio-Benguet, Bontoc-Lagawe and Tabuk with Msgr. Ernesto Salgado, Msgr. Brigido Galasgas and Msgr. Carlito Cenzon, CICM as their Apostolic Vicars. Bishop Carlito Cenzon, CICM was officially installed as head of the Vicariate of Tabuk on December 5, 1992 at the Saint William the Hermit Church, Bulanao, Tabuk, Kalinga in the midst of everyone’s awe and wonder.

Prior to the division and evangelical journey of these three Vicars from Rome to their respective Vicariates, the giant Montañosa Vicariate was headed and controlled by Msgr. William Brasseur, CICM, DD assisted by Most Rev. Emiliano Madangeng, DD as the Auxiliary Bishop. Both ere based in Baguio City, their official residence.

The political subdivision of the former Mt. Province into five (5) provinces and its subsequent conversion into an Administrative Region to include Abra, and its recent subdivision into three Vicariates have certainly resulted to the speedy socio-economic development pace and moral recovery of the people. Seemingly, the Vicariate of Tabuk, popularly known as the Rice Granary or the Granary of the Cordillera is responding to the needs of its flocks as dictated by the signs of the times.

Before, Kalinga was the least visited sub-province by the missionaries because the tribes composed a confusing array of ethnological cultures, that was difficult, yet some Kalinga converts even drifted back to paganism.

From 1975-1990, a period of fifteen years, Kalinga was likened to the suffering Christ on the cross due to countless social problems that beset the society. The major causes of trouble from the early years of the seventies up to the eighties were the issues on the dam, atrocities of the NPA and the military forces. The tribal differences which caused the rupture of the many “bodongs” among peace pact holders was only a front to hide the many misgivings and anomalies of those who are for or against the government. The pace of economic development was halted due to killings as a result of inter-tribal conflicts. Kalinga has its own interpretation of the acronym KKK – Kalinga Killing Kalinga was the tune of the time.

From 1990 to the present mirrors a respite from the tribal turmoils except some isolated cases where the memories of the 1980’s resurrected due to the desire for revenge and counter revenge. In fact the new Vicar of Tabuk was victimized by a member of a certain tribe while coming home from a meeting in the nearby province of Cagayan. His wounding created a wave of uproar from the Kalinga Christian world, he being a mere shepherd who has nothing to do with the tribal jungle law “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

On December 3-7, 1997 the new Vicar staged the first Vicariate Pastoral Assembly at the Tabuk Pastoral Center in Bulanao, Kalinga with more than 300 delegates in attendance; the ultimate objectives of which was to frame the vision-mission of the Vicariate. The 3-day brain storming convention resulted in the framing of a vision tailored according to the wish and aspirations of the delegates from the two provinces of Kalinga and Apayao. Conforming to the signs of the times and aligned with PCP II. The convention resulted in a plan of inculturating the Liturgy as well as evangelization to the level of the parishioners.

The emphasis of the assembly centered on a more participative concern of the laity to determine the kind of Church that the participants want to design. The time frame of the Vision is not for a certain period. This means that the church must conform to the lives of the laity brought about by a constantly changing world.

There are numerous chapels established within the surrounding sitios and barangays with no priest. Hence, under the operational care of the Parish Priest who has to travel 10-15 kilometers for a visit, this is done by rotation during weekdays.

The municipalities of Tanudan and Pasil being roadless areas accessible only by hiking and helicopters, to date do not have yet an official mission station and a regular priest. Religious education is taken cared of by catechists coupled by monthly if not quarterly visit of a priest from another station. The municipality of Calanasan though accessible now by a road built from Claveria still has no resident priest. It is served by Kabugao mission.

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