Second Bishop of Cubao

EARLY LIFE AND FORMATION

Bishop Elias L. Ayuban Jr., CMF, JCD, was born on January 1, 1968, in Parang, Maguindanao, and raised in Loay, Bohol. His early education reflected his dedication to learning, graduating with First Honorable Mention from Loay Central Elementary School and as salutatorian from Holy Trinity Academy. He entered the seminary in 1985 and completed his philosophical studies as valedictorian at Saint Anthony Mary Claret College of Philosophy. Later, he pursued theology at Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University.

 

RELIGIOUS LIFE AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Bishop Ayuban made his religious profession on May 5, 1991, with final vows on July 16, 1995. He was ordained a priest of the Claretian Missionaries on March 9, 1996, in Quezon City under the Archdiocese of Manila. His academic achievements include a Licentiate and Doctorate in Canon Law, both summa cum laude, from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

 

PASTORAL AND ACADEMIC MINISTRY

As a Claretian missionary, Bishop Ayuban served in various capacities, including Parish Priest at Risen Christ Parish in Tungawan (1996–2000), Rector of Claret Theology House (2004–2008), Local Superior (2009–2010), and Rector of the College Seminary, Provincial Councilor, and Provincial Prefect of Formation (2010–2011). From 2019 to 2024, he served as the Provincial Superior of the Fr. Rhoel Gallardo Province, which oversees missions in the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, and Myanmar. Beyond these roles, he was a professor of Canon Law at institutions such as the University of Santo Tomas, the Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia, and the Claretianum in Rome. He also served as an Ecclesiastical Judge and held leadership positions in commissions for consecrated life.

 

LEGACY AND PUBLICATIONS

Bishop Ayuban has authored several works on Canon Law and religious life, including Canonical Issues Related to Religious Life: 200 Practical Questions and Answers (2005, revised and expanded in 2008) and Procedures and Formularies for the Use of Religious Institutes (2011, co-editor). His contributions to academia and ministry reflect his commitment to faith, scholarship, and service.

 

EPISCOPAL APPOINTMENT

On October 4, 2024, Pope Francis appointed him as the Bishop of Cubao, succeeding Most Rev. Honesto Ongtioco. His episcopal ordination took place on December 3, 2024, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao, coinciding with the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Patron of Missionaries.

 

A VISION FOR THE DIOCESE OF CUBAO

Bishop Ayuban brings a wealth of experience and spiritual leadership to the Diocese of Cubao, which serves a vibrant Catholic community in Quezon City. His appointment marks a new chapter of evangelization, drawing on his background in missionary work and expertise in Canon Law. The faithful of Cubao look forward to flourishing under his guidance and vision.

Dexter side (Coat of arms of the Diocese of Cubao):

 

Party per fess, is chief Or issuant from a mound of three coupeaux Vert a Tau cross Tenné; in base Azure four roses Argent arranged in lozenge.

 

Sinister side (Personal coat of arms of Bishop Elias Lumayog Ayuban, Jr.):

 

Parted by a fess rayonné Gules charged with an open scroll Argent between two wheels Or; in chief of the last a flaming heart of the first transfixed bend sinisterwise by a dagger proper and decorated by a garland of roses of the third; in base, also of the third two arms embowed proper, one Filipino and the other Caucasian, in saltire, wrists wounded and holding bamboo cups Vert interiors of the first. Behind the shield is a bishop’s cross, all are surmounted by a Roman galero with six tassels pendant at both sides in 1, 2 and 3 all Vert.

 

Motto: “Misericordes sicut Pater”, “Merciful like the Father” (Luke 6:36)

 

As per ecclesiastical heraldic tradition, the coat of arms of the Bishop is impaled with the coat of arms of his jurisdiction, the Diocese of Cubao, symbolic of his spiritual marriage to his See. The dexter (viewer’s left) side has the place of honor in heraldry, thus the Diocese’s coat of arms is to be placed in the dexter.

 

The coat of arms of the Diocese of the Cubao was designed by Rev. Fr. Michell Joe B. Zerrudo, and Rev. Fr. Jose Tupino, III, at the birth of the Diocese in 2003.

 

The shield is divided horizontally into two equal parts, called “per fess” in heraldry.

 

In chief is a Tau Cross Tenné (brown) placed on a mount of three coupeaux Vert (green) on an Or (gold) field. The mount represents the hills that are reminiscent of the original landscape of Quezon City which geographically constitutes the Diocese of Cubao. Quezon City was tagged by its founder, Manuel L. Quezon, as “the city set on a hill.”

 

The Tau Cross that surmounts the mount reminds us of the first Franciscan missions founded by San Pedro Bautista, Spanish missionary and martyr, in San Francisco del Monte in the late 1500’s. The mission was originally intended to be a place of retreat (thus, Retiro) for the missionaries. The Tau Cross on top of the hill echoes the words of our Lord in Matthew 5: “Civitas supra montem posita non abscondi” (A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.)

 

The gold field suggests the light of Christ dispelling the darkness (Diliman, which used to be dark because of it being a heavily wooded place). It is a testament to the missionary character of the Diocese.

 

In base, the Azure (blue) tincture and the four Argent (silver) roses, are symbols of Mary. The roses stand for Our Lady of the Rosary – La Naval de Manila, the patroness of Quezon City as declared by Pope Paul VI on August 26, 1974. The heraldic metal Argent (white) stands for the Immaculate Conception, the titular of the Diocese. These roses complement the roses in the coat of arms of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila, which allude to the patroness of his hometown in Aklan: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The four roses also commemorate the Year of the Rosary in which the Diocese was founded. On that year, Pope John Paul II included the Mysteria Lucis to the former mysteries of the Rosary. The blue field stands for the profound Marian devotion of the Diocese. Cubao is home to three national Marian Shrines: Our Lady of the Rosary – La Naval de Manila in Quezon Avenue; Our Lady of Lourdes in Retiro; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New Manila, Quezon City

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On the sinister side is the personal coat of arms of the new Bishop, Elias Lumayog Ayuban, Jr., CMF.

 

In chief Or is the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Protectress of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as the Claretian Missionaries, a religious institute of pontifical right named after their Father Founder, St. Anthony Mary Claret. The Bishop is a member of the Congregation and has served as Provincial Superior of the Fr. Rhoel Gallardo Province which comprises the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, and Myanmar, since 2019.

 

On a fess rayonné Gules (red), that is, a fess with lines resembling flames, is an open scroll Argent in between two wheels in Or. These are symbols of the patron saint and namesake of the Bishop, the prophet Elijah, which means in Hebrew “Yahweh is my God”. Under the dictates of God, he courageously preached repentance to the Israelites, and was assumed to heaven by God through a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). The flames and the scroll also allude to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The Claretians are Missionary Servants of the Word burning with the fire of God’s love and who spread its flames wherever they go.

 

In base Argent are two arms in saltire holding cups. These symbols are associated with the town of origin of the Bishop in Loay, Bohol, where the historic blood compact between Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, chieftain of Bohol, took place on
March 16, 1565.

 

The green galero with six tassels pendant at both sides, along with the episcopal processional cross, indicate that the bearer of the coat of arms is a Bishop.

 

 

“Misericordes sicut pater” is the Bishop’s motto, adapted from Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

 

Heraldic Designers:

Very Rev. Msgr. John Brillantes

Adviser of Escudos Eclesiasticos PH

Life Member of the American College of Heraldry

 

and

 

Mr. Johnel Dimco

Head Researcher of Escudos Eclesiasticos PH

Chief Artist of Auxilium Christianorum Ecclesiastical Heraldic Arts