CEBU Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy expressed in a press conference that he will deliver the State of the Archdiocese Address (Sotaa) regularly.
Speaking on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, hours before he presented his Sotaa at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Archbishop Uy said he has been conducting consultations across the local church since his installation.
Uy was installed as the Cebu Archbishop on Sept. 30, 2025, and has been serving the local church for approximately seven months.
Long-term goals
The archbishop explained that consultations help determine the long-term plans of priests in their assigned parishes as one of many goals to tackle. He noted that during a consultation with the clergy, a priest asked whether a timeframe exists for his plans because previous initiatives often fell into nothingness and were forgotten.
“Sa among kasinatian, adunay mga maayong tinguha unya nanglabay ang mga katuigan nawala ra man pud (In our experience, there were good intentions, but as the years passed, they just disappeared),” he said, recalling the sentiments of a priest.
“Nabalaka gyud siya, nga basin kutob ra ni sa maayong plano o maayong tinguha, so mao to nga naabot sa akong huna-huna nga I promise you every year I will make a report (He was really worried that this might just end as a good plan or a good intention, so that was when it occurred to me that I promise you every year I will make a report),” he added.
Public transparency
Uy said the Sotaa serves as an avenue for the archbishop to inform the public about the current situation of the archdiocese. Through the address, the public learns the state of the clergy, religious persons, faithful, parishes, missions, challenges and hopes for the future.
He reminded the public not to expect a bombastic address because he is a shepherd of the flock rather than a political figure. During his Tuesday address, the archbishop discussed vocation efforts, the state of the Cebu clergy, liturgical programs and missions within Catholic schools.
He also covered efforts in evangelization, catechesis, ecclesiastical communities, the active participation of the laity, family life and youth. Other points included the continual promotion of environmental care, “adopt-a-parish” and “hatag paglaum” initiatives for earthquake-struck parishes, cultural heritage, interreligious dialogue and the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults. / JPS