New Archbishop of Lipa to focus on Migrant workers

Lipa (AsiaNews) - On July 16, the Feast of  Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Bishop Ramon Arguelles will be installed as the new Archbishop of Lipa, in the province of Batangas, south of Manila,  at the Saint Sebastian Cathedral (constructed in 1605). The bishop himself choose this day for his deep devotion and "great faith in the spirituality of Carmel," Bishop Arguelles told AsiaNews. Next to Manila and Cebu in the south, Lipa is one of the most important Archdioceses in the Philippines. It is a fast developing area with industrious people.   "It is important for the country because the province is one of the most hopeful, full of promise – economic and otherwise." The people of Batangas are noted for being daring people, they readily accept challenges. This characteristic is seen in Bishop Arguelles. One of the first tasks Mons. Arguelles sees is to fulfill Rome's expectations of him: to unite the priesthood and the faithful to a more dedicated service to the Church. "It is not only pietism, which the people there are noted for, but a religious fervor that is manifested in their daily life, their caring for one another." One of  his top priorities as new Archbishop is to establish a Migrants' Desk.  Mons. Arguelles is currently head of the Bishops' Conference Commission for Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) and has been an active advocate for the rights of  overseas Filipinos internationally, challenging government officials to give workers their due. These workers help keep the country's economy afloat through their dollar remittances.  Thus, it is of no surprise that he envisions the Migrants' Desk "to organize the families of overseas Filipino workers so that assistance we get from the outside would not be used uselessly; rather, it would be brought together in order to help, not only the families who have migrants, as members but also those who have no relatives." Bishop Arguelles is also concerned for the poor in the province, including those coming from other places looking for a better life. "I believe our role is to uplift the economic as well as the spiritual level of the people." Another challenge will be his relationship with the newly-elected governor, suspected to be an illegal gambling lord. "One of the seeming manifestations (of corruption in the area) is  the proliferation of vices: drugs, alcohol, sex and jueteng (illegal numbers game). I am determined to examine those aspects of our lives because that is simply our biblical and Christian duty to do so." Mons. Arguelles has served for the past eight and a half years as the military ordinariate and notes improvements among the military and the police as defenders of the people.  Though there had been attempts of mutiny and rumors of a possible coup d'etat, "I don't think there is dissatisfaction or unrest or sinister plots in the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the police, as we have witnessed in the past. When I talk to the officers, I believe that they are out there to defend the constitution," Bishop Arguelles said.

"I was not expecting to be assigned in Lipa," he said. "If only for the reason that I am from there." He was born in Batangas City in November 1944. "But I have never served in Batangas. So I will be going back there to be in the service of my own people." (SE)

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