Personal Background
Fr. Rogelio N. Bag-ao, SVD was elected last January 29th, the Feast of St. Joseph Freinademetz, as the new Provincial Superior of Society of the Divine Word Philippines Southern Province (SVD-PHS), succeeding Fr. Eduardo R. Rocha, whose term ended on February 29, 2020.
Father Roger concurrently serves as USC’s Director for Community Extension Services as well as the Presidential Assistant to Mission and Spirituality. Born in Butuan City to Petronilo C. Bag-ao, now deceased, and Narcisa A. Nob, a retired teacher, he grew up in Loay, Bohol before attending Divine Word Seminary where he completed both his A.B. Philosophy (1984) and M.A. in Theology (1989). He was ordained a priest on December 9, 1989.
Before his assignment to USC, he served for ten years as the Director of the Secretariat for Human Development (1990 to 1999), and then the next eleven years as a parish priest in the Vicariate of Puerto Princesa (2000 to 2010). He was then appointed as the Vice President for Administration at Divine Word College in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro (2010 to 2012) and then as Human Resource Director at Divine Word College in Legaspi City (2013 to 2014). Before his current posts, Fr. Roger served as University Chaplain and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at USC.