BALANGA CITY – The Diocese of Balanga has implemented a program it calls “Sagot ka ng Diocese” to show its equal concern for all diocesan priests in Bataan, Bishop Ruperto C. Santos said Monday.
Under the scheme, priests, including the bishop, have standard living allowance. “Pantay- pantay ang tinatanggap kahit sa malaki o maliit na simbahan o parokya madestino,” said Santos, fondly called Bishop Stud. There are 54 diocesan priests assigned in various parishes in 11 towns and one city in the province.
This number does not include 28 other priests under different religious orders involved in Catholic-run schools.
The diocese shoulders payments of all dues of priests with the Social Security System, PhilHealth and the Catholic Bishops Conference. The priests under the diocese have no problem on hospitalization, retirement, maintenance and pension that the diocese takes care of.
A beautiful retirement home for priests was constructed in a spacious area in Balanga City. Santos was installed as the fourth bishop in Bataan on July 8, 2010 and since then has initiated various innovations for the welfare of both priests and the faithful.
The 55-year old bishop was assigned in the Vatican for 13 years where he was the CBCP’s episcopal chairman at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Italy.
