The Roman Catholic Bishop of Balanga is the head of the Diocese of Balanga having jurisdiction over the province of Bataan. He also oversees the 11 Catholic schools in the province under Diocesan Schools of Bataan Educational Foundation, Inc. (DSOBEFI) as board of trustees.[1]
Coat of arms of Bishop Ruperto Santos that was displayed on the cathedra of Balanga Cathedral from the preparation for his July 8 installation into office as fourth Bishop of Balanga on July 5, 2010 (which also placed his coat of arms at the cathedral floor on that date) until he became Bishop of Antipolo covering Marikina in Metro Manila and the province of Rizal on July 22, 2023.
The diocese was established by Pope Paul VI on March 17, 1975. Three months after its establishment, he appointed Celso Guevarra as the diocese's first bishop on June 4, 1975. At those times, Bataan was still under the jurisdiction of Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga. Guevarra became bishop on his installation in November 8, 1975, establishing the position and separated the province from an archdiocese under the governance of its archbishop Emilio A. Cinense.
Celso Guevarra was the longest to serve the position at 23 years from November 8, 1975 upon his retirement on June 18, 1998 where he was succeeded by Honesto Ongtioco as second bishop, serving until became Bishop of Cubao in Quezon City, Metro Manila on August 28, 2003, making the diocese having Bishop of Balanga continuously for 28 years.
On the other hand, the longest-living serving bishop and second overall of the diocese is Ruperto Santos, who was the priest of the Archdiocese of Manila and concurrently rector of Pontifical Filipino College in Rome, Italy for 27 and 11 years, respectively, from September 10, 1983 until his installation into office as fourth bishop on July 8, 2010 three months after his start of overall position tenure upon appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on April 1, 2010, the Holy Week, Holy Triduum, and Holy Thursday of 2010, since October 2015 at 13 years, 3 months, 21 days (4,860 days) from April 1, 2010 to July 22, 2023 with office at the said date of July 2010. He served the position at all years of Catholic Church involvement over his appointer from April 2010 to his funeral as pope-emeritus on January 5, 2023, 6 months and 17 days before stepping down as the diocese's bishop, and two deaths and wakes, and one funeral of sede vacantediocesan administratorsVictor Ocampo and Antonio Dumaual from March 16 to July 22, 2023. However, the wake and funeral of Dumaual from July 22 to 31, 2023 is when Santos was already Bishop of Antipolo and under temporary bishopric of the diocese as apostolic administrator of Florentino Lavarias, Archbishop of San Fernando since October 27, 2014.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Since 2025, the diocese has 49 parishes with those established before November 1975 were inherited from the said archdiocese, 11 schools through the diocese's DSOBEFI formed in 2006, 863,610 Catholics, and 66 priests, all within in its jurisdiction Bataan.
Bishops
No.
Portrait
Name and Notes
Coat of Arms
Period in Position
Duration
Popes/Popes-Emeritus until Funeral during Position Tenure
Ruperto Cruz "Stude" Santos 1957– (52 / 65) (Installed into office on July 8, 2010, longest-living serving bishop and second overall since October 2015, elevated more churches into higher status, became Bishop of Antipolo)
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