Pope appoints Prudencio Andaya Jr. as new bishop of Cabanatuan

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Prudencio Andaya Jr. as the new bishop of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. He replaces Bishop Sofronio Bancud, whose resignation was accepted on December 8, after he turned 76. Andaya, 65, previously served as the bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk. He is the sixth bishop of the Cabanatuan diocese, which serves the southern part of Nueva Ecija. Born in Kalinga, Andaya was ordained in 1986 and worked in Zambia for 11 years before returning to the Philippines. He became bishop of Tabuk in 2003.