25/09/2026
Previous Awardee
2019 BISHOP JORGE I. BARLIN AWARD
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Manolo Alarcon de los Santos, D.D.
Bishop-Emeritus of Virac
A Canonist, Formator, Pastor, and Diocesan Shepherd
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Manolo Alarcon de los Santos, D.D., Bishop-Emeritus of Virac, belongs to a distinguished generation of Bicolano churchmen formed in the seminaries of Caceres and called to serve far beyond the institutions that first nurtured their vocation. His priestly and episcopal ministry brought together four enduring concerns: the formation of future priests, the disciplined service of canon law and Church governance, the pastoral care of parishes and families, and the long-term building of a local Church. For almost three decades as Bishop of Virac, he shepherded the island province of Catanduanes through a period marked by synodal consultation, pastoral planning, growth in parishes and clergy, and a sustained emphasis on evangelization. His life of service also remained deeply connected to Holy Rosary Seminary, where he had been formed and where he later taught as a priest.
Family Roots and Early Formation
Manolo Alarcon de los Santos was born on 5 August 1947 in Basud, Camarines Norte. His early schooling brought him to Caramoan Central School and United High School in Caramoan, Camarines Sur, before he entered Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in Naga City. He continued his philosophical formation at Holy Rosary Major Seminary, where he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree. These years placed his vocation within the long educational and spiritual tradition of the Seminary of Caceres, an institution that has formed generations of priests and bishops for Bicol and for the wider Philippine Church.
Theology, Canon Law, and Preparation for Priesthood
For theological studies, he proceeded to the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, where he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology. He later pursued advanced studies in canon law at the same university, completing both the Licentiate and the Doctorate in Canon Law. The combination of theology and canon law became a defining strength of his ministry. Theology provided the doctrinal and pastoral foundations of priestly service, while canon law trained him to understand the structures by which the Church protects communion, justice, sacramental discipline, and responsible governance. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Caceres on 7 May 1974.
Priestly Ministry and Return to Holy Rosary Seminary
Father de los Santos began priestly ministry as Parochial Vicar in Libmanan Parish, Camarines Sur. He was also entrusted with the formation of future priests as a professor at Holy Rosary Major Seminary. His return to the Seminary as a teacher was significant: the institution that had helped form his vocation now received from him the fruits of his theological and canonical preparation. Seminary teaching required more than mastery of academic subjects. It placed him within the daily work of priestly formation, where intellectual discipline, pastoral judgment, ecclesial fidelity, and the example of priestly life must reinforce one another.
Service in the Archdiocese of Caceres
The Archdiocese of Caceres subsequently entrusted Father de los Santos with a wide range of responsibilities. He served as Chancellor of the Archdiocese, a position that demanded accuracy, discretion, institutional memory, and careful attention to ecclesiastical acts and records. In pastoral ministry, he became pastor of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga City and later pastor of Saint Anthony Parish in Iriga City. He also served as Vicar Forane of the Saint Anthony de Padua Vicariate. These assignments placed him at the intersection of administration and direct pastoral care, requiring him to move from chancery work and canonical procedure to preaching, sacramental ministry, parish leadership, and the accompaniment of communities.
Canonical, Judicial, and Consultative Service
His expertise in canon law was put directly at the service of ecclesiastical justice and governance. He served as Officialis, Defender of the Bond, and Judge of the Ecclesiastical Court of Nueva Caceres. He was also a member of the Presbyteral Council and of the Board of Consultors. These offices are often less visible than parish ministry, but they are essential to the orderly life of a diocese. They call for a priest who can weigh facts carefully, apply Church law responsibly, safeguard the rights of persons, and advise the bishop on matters affecting diocesan governance. In this sphere, his advanced canonical studies became a practical instrument of pastoral responsibility rather than merely an academic credential.
