Honesto Ongtioco

The Most Reverend Honesto Ongtioco D.D.
Bishop Emeritus of Cubao
Bishop Ongtioco, circa 2024
Church	Catholic Church
Province	Manila
See	Cubao
Appointed	June 28, 2003
Installed	August 28, 2003
Term ended	October 4, 2024
Predecessor	Position created
Successor	Elias Lumayog Ayuban Jr., CMF
Previous post(s)	Priest, Archdiocese of San Fernando (1972–1998) Bishop of Balanga (1998–2003) Bishop of Cubao (2003–2024) Apostolic Administrator of Malolos (2018–2019)
Orders
Ordination	December 8, 1972 by Emilio Cinense y Abera
Consecration	June 18, 1998 by Jaime Sin
Personal details
Born	(1948-10-17) October 17, 1948 (age 76) San Fernando, Pampanga
Nationality	Filipino
Residence	Bishop's Residence, Cubao, Quezon City
Alma mater	San Jose Seminary Ateneo de Manila University
Motto	Maior autem caritas (Latin for 'The Greatest (Thing) is Love' – 1 Corinthians 13:13)
Coat of arms

Styles of Honesto Ongtioco
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Honesto "Nes" Flores Ongtioco (born October 17, 1948) is a Filipino bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Cubao from August 28, 2003 until his retirement was accepted on October 4, 2024.^[1]

Prior to his appointment to Cubao, he served as the second Bishop of Balanga in Bataan from June 18, 1998 to August 28, 2003; succeeding the retiring bishop Celso Guevarra.^[2] He also served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Malolos from May 12, 2018 to August 21, 2019.^[3][4]

Honesto Flores Ongtioco was born on October 17, 1948, at San Fernando, Pampanga. He studied elementary at St. Scholastica's Academy and high school at Don Bosco Academy. In 1958, he had seminary training at San Jose Seminary. Three years after studying philosophy in 1964, he took theology at the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo de Manila University. Ongtioco earned a master's degree in Organization Development and Planning in 1983 at the Southeast Asian Interdisciplinary Development Institute in Manila.

In 1984, he went to the United States to take renewal courses on Liturgy and Spirituality at St. John's University in New York City. After taking renewal courses, he went to Rome in 1987 where he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.^[5]

On December 8, 1972, Ongtioco was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Emilio Cinense y Abera, Bishop of San Fernando at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in San Fernando, Pampanga.

After his ordination, Ongtioco was given several assignments within the Archdiocese of San Fernando. He served as spiritual director, professor, rector, and other positions in Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary, University of the Assumption, and other educational institutions. He was also appointed as parochial vicar of the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City from 1974 to 1975 and at St. Peter and Paul Parish in Apalit from 1975 to 1977. In 1975, he was also the acting parish priest of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Porac and acting director of St. Catherine Academy in Apalit.^[6]

On March 21, 1992, Ongtioco was invested as honorary prelate. Five years later, he was appointed as rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Italy.^[7]

Ongtioco was named as second Bishop of Balanga on April 8, 1998 by Pope John Paul II. He became the diocese's second bishop upon assuming office or his installation as bishop on June 18, 1998, the same day as his episcopal consecration. The installation ceremony was presided by the then-Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga Paciano Aniceto.^[8]

His inspiring words and assuring presence guided the Diocese of Balanga as it celebrated its 25th anniversary and as it responded to the call of the pope at the beginning of the third millennium, "Duc in Altum." His kindness and charity allowed the various branches of the diocesan tree to grow in different directions in pursuit of his plan to convoke a Diocesan Pastoral Assembly.^[9]

On June 28, 2003, he was named as the first Bishop of Cubao also by Pope John Paul II. He became the diocese's bishop upon his installation on the same day the new diocese was canonically erected in August 28, 2003, ending his 5 years and 2 months tenure as Bishop of Balanga. He was succeeded by Socrates Villegas upon his appointment to the position as third Bishop of Balanga on May 3, 2004 and installed into office on July 3, 2004. Villegas served as the diocese's third bishop and Ongtioco's successor from May 3, 2004 until he became fifth Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan on November 4, 2009.^[10]

Due to the death of Bishop José F. Oliveros, the fourth bishop of Malolos, on May 11, 2018, Pope Francis appointed him as the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese on May 16, 2018. As per No. 244 of the Apostolorum Successores or Directory of Pastoral Ministry of Bishops, Ongtioco holds “all the faculties and rights to exercise the office of a diocesan bishop.” ^[11] He ceased being Apostolic Administrator of the diocese on August 21, 2019 upon the installation of Dennis Cabanada Villarojo, the fifth bishop of Malolos.

On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against Ongtioco and members of the opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice".^[12][13]

On October 4, 2024, his resignation as Bishop of Cubao was accepted.^[1][8] He served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Cubao until the installation of his successor, Elias Ayuban, on December 3, 2024.

Coat of arms of Honesto Ongtioco

Adopted August 28, 2003 Helm Bishop's Galero The shield is surmounted by the bishop's galero or ecclesiastical hat of this rank with six tassels for each side in Vert (green) that signifies the rank of a Bishop. Escutcheon From 2003: Parted per fess: First: Golden (or), three hills surmounted by a Tau cross, Second: Azure (blue), four, five-petalled white flowers on a blue field; Impaled with a shield tierced per fess: Golden (or) crown and three white stars on a blue (azure) diagonal line on a white (argent) background. Motto MAIOR AUTEM CARITAS "The Greatest (Thing) is Love" The motto was taken from 1 Corinthians 13:13, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Other elements Latin Cross The shield is also surmounted by the Latin cross, symbolizing the bishop's dignity. Previous versions June 18, 1998–August 28, 2003 (Diocese of Balanga)

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