Fr. Tito Caluag leads the Mass in honor of Dreamscape head Deo Endrinal at the Chapel of Annunciation, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City on February 8, 2024.  Gigie Cruz, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) -- Caritas Philippines on Sunday named Fr. Carmelo "Tito" Caluag of the Diocese of Novaliches as its new executive director.

Caluag succeeds Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr, who served the post from July 2020 until his resignation in March 2024. 

Caritas Philippines is the humanitarian, development, and advocacy arm of the Catholic Church.

"I am honored to be entrusted with this leadership role at Caritas Philippines," Fr. Caluag said. 

"I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff and the entire social action network to strengthen our programs and advocate for the most vulnerable in our society." 

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Fr. Caluag has been with Caritas Philippines since 2020, helping forge the organization’s partnership with ABS-CBN for the Kapamilya Daily Masses. 

Currently, Caluag is leading the Alay Kapwa Expanded Fund Campaign, aimed at increasing local resources to support various programs. He is also involved in the AK Community Schooling and the Caritas Philippines Academy, reflecting his commitment to the organization’s educational and developmental initiatives. 

In a press conference, Fr. Caluag emphasized the importance of sustainability for the organization’s programs.

"Ang isang mahalaga sa Caritas Philippines ngayon is yung sustainability ng kani-kanilang programs. Kasi parang nakasalalay na yung key programs to address poverty [and] other basic social needs," he said. 

He also elaborated on his vision for Caritas Philippines, focusing on sustainability, organizational capacity building, and the scalability of programs across various parishes and dioceses. He stressed the need for a foundational approach to tackle issues such as education, malnutrition, food security, and environmental concerns.

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"Karamihan ng na-address na suliranin ng Caritas Philippines, ng Social Action networks is ‘yung foundation approach ang kailangan eh. Andyan yung education, malnutrition, food security, environment, all of these require a foundation approach kaya mahalaga yung sustainability, replicability, and scalability," he said. 

Caritas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said that Fr. Caluag's "impressive background and proven leadership skills, along with his extensive experience with Caritas Philippines initiatives, make him a perfect fit." 

"We are confident that he will guide our organization through this next chapter and help us further our mission of serving those in need," Bagaforo said. -- with a report from Addie Cuadra, ABS-CBN News