The Catholic bishop of one of the Philippines’ youngest and poorest ecclesial territories has launched an appeal for the construction of their cathedral.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo of the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay (AVT) in Palawan province said the appeal aims to raise at least P90 million to complete the construction of the church dedicated to St. Joseph the Worker.

“We humbly appeal to your generosity to be one of our benefactors in building the house of God in Taytay,” Pabillo said.

The apostolic vicariate started the construction of the cathedral in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent typhoon have affected the construction and its fundraising efforts.

The prelate said they instead used the church’s available funds to build houses and fishing boats for affected residents and to reconstruct chapels that were destroyed by the typhoon.

“We prioritized addressing the needs of the people,” he said.

Pabillo has been the bishop of Taytay since 2021.

“I have heard the desire of the people and the clergy to finish the construction,” he said. “Now in the year 2023, God willing, we plan to put our attention and efforts in building the cathedral.”

The AVT emphasized that the construction project “is an act of faith not only by the clergy but also by all the faithful”.

“It is our way of responding to the signs of the times as one Church journeying together in proclaiming God’s reign,” it said.