Elias Ayuban

Styles of
**Elias Ayuban, Jr.**
Styles of; Elias Ayuban, Jr.
Reference style	His Excellency; The Most Reverend;
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

The Most Reverend

Elias Ayuban Jr.

CMF
The Most Reverend; Elias Ayuban Jr.; CMF
Bishop of Cubao
Church	Catholic Church
Province	Manila
See	Cubao
Appointed	October 4, 2024
Installed	December 3, 2024
Predecessor	Honesto Ongtioco
Orders
Ordination	March 9, 1996
Consecration	December 3, 2024; by Jose Advincula
Personal details
Born	January 1, 1968 (age 57); Parang, Cotabato, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Residence	Bishop's Residence, Cubao, Quezon City
Alma mater	Saint Anthony Mary Claret College; Ateneo de Manila University
Motto	Misericordes sicut Pater; ('Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful', Luke 6:36)
Coat of arms

Elias Lumayog Ayuban Jr. CMF (born January 1, 1968) is a Filipino bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is a Claretian clergyman who currently serves as the second bishop of Diocese of Cubao since 2024.

Early life and education

Ayuban was born on January 1, 1968 in the town of Parang in the historical province of Cotabato (now Maguindanao del Norte). He took philosophy at the Saint Anthony Mary Claret College and theology at the Ateneo de Manila University; both in Quezon City.^[1] He received a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome in 2003.^[2]

Ministry

Ayuban gave his religious vows on July 16, 1995. He was ordained as a priest on March 9, 1996, in Quezon City. His first assignment was as the parish priest of the Risen Christ in Tungawan what was then part of Zamboanga del Sur from 1996 to 2000.^[1]^[3] He took up various positions locally and in the Vatican. Ayuban also held academic roles, including at the Institute for Consecrated Life Asia and the Claret Theology House in Quezon City, and the University of Santo Tomas.^[1]^[2]

Ayuban is the superior of the Filipino Claretian Province since 2019.^[4]

On October 4, 2024, Ayuban was appointed as the second bishop of Diocese of Cubao, succeeding Bishop Honesto Ongtioco upon his episcopal ordination and canonical possession on December 3, 2024 with Cardinal Jose Advincula as the Principal Consecrator with Bishop Alberto Uy and Bishop Honesto Ongtioco as Co-Consecrators.^[1] He is the second Filipino Claretian bishop installed as bishop after Leo Dalmao of the Prelature of Isabela de Basilan. José María Querejeta, a Spaniard, is the first ever Claretian bishop assigned to a bishop role in the Philippines, also in Basilan.^[5] His episcopal ordination and the rite of canonical possession-installation was held at Cubao Cathedral on December 3, coinciding with the feast of Francis Xavier.^[6]

Political positions

Ayuban publicly makes his positions in sociopolitical issues through editorials and social media posts.^[2] He wrote a critical piece against then-president Rodrigo Duterte for the executive's remarks of God being "stupid" in a 2018 column in La Croix International.^[2]^[7]

He supported then-vice president Leni Robredo's presidential campaign for the 2022 election. In contrast, Ayuban posted #NeverAgain in reaction to Bongbong Marcos' win, a reference to the dictatorship of his father, former president Ferdinand Marcos.^[2] Writing for the CBCP, Ayuban also made his position against legalizing civil divorce in the Philippines known.^[2]^[8]