New Tagbilaran bishop urges Boholanos

to protect environment as province grows

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Newly installed Tagbilaran Bishop Crispin B. Varquez urged Boholanos on Oct. 27 to care for the province’s natural resources and pursue growth that respects its workers, culture and identity.

Varquez was installed as the eight bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran during a Mass at St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral Shrine in Tagbilaran City.

“Let tourism respect our environment. Let economic growth protect the dignity of our workers and the local community,” Varquez said in his message after the installation.

He said economic growth must include the well-being of workers and local communities, including support for the next generation of farmers to keep agriculture competitive.

He said tourism depends on the efforts of all sectors, not only tourists and business owners.

Varquez asked the clergy and the faithful to stay open to dialogue and listen to one another, saying a bishop cannot face the challenges ahead alone.

“Kon naa moy maayo nga idea, sultihi ko. Kon naa moy ikasaway nako, sultihi pod ko kay dili ko masuko. Open ko, aron mahimong maayo ang atong pag-journey isip usa ka local Church sa Diocese of Tagbilaran … Ang mga hagit sa unahan dili nako kaya kon ako ra. Pari, religious, lay, please tabangi ko ninyo nga dili ko mag-inusara,” he said.

(If you have good ideas, tell me. If you have any criticisms, tell me too. I won’t take offense. I am open, so that our journey as a local Church in the Diocese of Tagbilaran will go well… I cannot face the challenges ahead alone. Priests, religious and lay people, please help me so I do not walk alone).

Cardinal Jose Advincula Jr., archbishop of Manila, led the installation rites, joined by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown, Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy; and other bishops.

Return to his home diocese

Varquez returns to Bohol after nearly 19 years as bishop of Borongan in Eastern Samar.

A native of Sevilla, Bohol, Varquez was born December 5, 1960, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tagbilaran on April 14, 1989.

He later served as a seminary formator and vicar general of the diocese.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Borongan in August 2007. He was ordained bishop on Oct. 18, 2007, and installed in Borongan on Nov. 8, 2007.

“To the Diocese of Tagbilaran, my diocese of origin. Please allow me to journey with you. Allow me to walk with you. And most of all, allow me to love you. With humble and grateful heart, I accept this new ministry,” Varquez said.

“Pero kahibaw ko, wala akoy igong katakos nga ipaambit kaninyo. Ako lamang ihalad akong kaugalingon sa tumang pagpaubos ug diha sa kayano sa kinabuhi (But I know I do not have enough ability to share with you. I simply offer myself, with the utmost humility and in the simplicity of life),” he said. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)

October 27, 2026, marked a significant and historic milestone in the life of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, as it welcomed back one of its own sons, Most Rev. Crispin “Bai” B. Varquez, as the 8th Bishop of Tagbilaran. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)

Bohol PIOs train on responsible 

AI use, spotting misinformation

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—For Doris Isabel Racho, drafting social media captions, press releases and report summaries used to eat up the hours she needed for planning and talking with citizens.

“Very relevant, very helpful gyud ang Al (Al is really very relevant and very helpful). It makes our work easier,” said Racho, information officer of Agricultural Training Institute in Central Visayas and president of the Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO)-Bohol.

Racho was among the public information officers from local governments and national agencies in Bohol who trained on using artificial intelligence (Al) safely at the Digital Transformation Center in Tagbilaran City.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) held the training through its ICT Academy in Central Visayas.

Al frees communicators from routine work, giving them more time for planning, digital safety and engaging citizens, Racho said.

Spotting fakes

The training, "AI in Government Communication: Tools, Techniques, and Responsible Use for PIOs" also taught participants to recognize the risks.

“These learning sessions will help PIOs recognize AI-generated misinformation, manipulated content, and other emerging digital risks while encouraging the productive and responsible use of AI technologies,” said Charles Jave M. Retanal, DICT project development officer.

Retanal said Al can reduce errors, work around the clock, automate routine tasks, keep improving and support better decisions.

He also discussed its risks:

-AI “hallucinations” or false information that sounds true

-Sycophancy, or Al telling users what they want to hear

-“LLM grooming,” the deliberate seeding of false content to influence Al answers

-Realistic fake images, audio and video, including deepfakes and cheapfakes.

“Responsible AI means designing and using Al systems in an ethical, safe and transparent way that protects human rights and well-being”, Retenal said.

Participants were introduced to 10 AI tools that can help government communicators produce content faster and deliver information to the public more efficiently.

The training is part of the DICT’s Al literacy and ethics program, which runs alongside its cybersecurity initiatives.

Rey Anthony Chiu, government information center coordinator of the Philippine Information Agency in Bohol, said using Al responsibly in public office builds public trust, since public service means accountability. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)

More than 40 dedicated public information officers, who are members of AUDIO-Bohol, successfully completed training on Artificial Intelligence for Information Services on October 19, 2026, at the Digital Transformation Center in Tagbilaran City. The use of AI in government communication can significantly contribute to improving public service delivery, operational efficiency, and engagement with residents through automated tools, real-time analytics, and multilingual support. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)