Diocese of Kalibo
Kaliben(sis)
Suffragan diocese · Latin Church · Kalibo, Philippines
The Diocese of Kalibo is a Latin Church suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Capiz comprising the province of Aklan. Erected in 1976, it welcomed its fifth bishop, Cyril B. Villareal, who was ordained and installed at Kalibo Cathedral on April 23, 2026. Catholic population is roughly 74.7 percent of about 909,900 residents as of 2024.
The see
- Rank
- Suffragan diocese
- Tradition
- Latin Church
- Erected
- 17 January 1976
- Latin
- Kaliben(sis)
- Patron
- Saint John the Baptist
- Annuario code
- 001001785
The see in figures
- Catholics
- 679,696
- Population
- 900,000
- Catholic share
- 75.5%
- Priests
- 75
- Catholics per priest
- 9,063
- Extent
- 2,019 km²
- Catholics per km²
- 337
of the people living within its bounds
Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.
The bishop
- Bishop
- Cyril Buhayan Villareal
A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.
The cathedral
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Kalibo stands in Kalibo, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.
On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.
The province of Capiz
A suffragan of Capiz.
The sees of this province:
- Archdiocese of CapizCapiz
- Diocese of RomblonRomblon
On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.
History
Created on January 17, 1976, and erected on July 15, 1976, the Diocese of Kalibo is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Capiz, its boundaries unchanged since its founding. Juan N. Nilmar served as first bishop. The see has stood vacant since 16 June 2025, with Capiz Archbishop Victor Bendico currently guiding it as Apostolic Administrator.
What is kept by invitation
The record above is published because it is public: what this see is, when it was erected, who holds its chair, and where it stands among its neighbours.
The working record is not. The chancery's address, telephone and email, the clergy of the see, and the hours of Mass, confession and adoration in the parishes within it are kept for members, and a person reads every request.
Sources
The see's own website · Wikipedia
This record is compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. On the method, see the keeping of the record. Whoever finds an error is asked, in charity, to write: [email protected].