Bicol social communications ministers gather in Naga City for digital evangelization summit

By Jonnah Abellano and Lilette Manauis

Two hundred thirty nine delegates from various parishes, schools and religious organizations from across the Bicol region  transformed the halls of Naga City's Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Basilica into a hub for modern evangelization on May 18, 2026, in a historic bid to claim the "digital continent" for the faithful.

The conference, titled "Communicating Christ," marked the pioneering regional gathering of Social Communications (SocCom) ministers, campus journalists and social media enthusiasts of religious organizations in Bicol. It was designed to answer Pope Leo XIV’s mandate for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, with the theme “Preserving Human Voices and Faces.” The event confronted cutting-edge issues like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity while grounding participants on pastoral service, evangelical mission and authentic relational content.

Edwin Lopez, Senior Director for Asia Pacific of EWTN Global Operations and keynote speaker, challenged the audience to "reclaim human voices and faces in the age of AI." He posed a question to them asking whether they attract people or drive them away. He reasoned that if we drive people away then we fail as social communicators. Further he reminded everyone that “the job of a social communicator is not just to be an influencer but to be a companion.” With this he emphasized that the gap between how we treat popular people and how we treat small people is hypocrisy. 

On equal footing, Manila Bulletin ICT Head Art Samaniego Jr. armed the delegates against modern digital dangers with his lecture on "Cybersecurity Threats in the Church." During his talk he directly discussed the intersection of faith and modern technology. He advanced the principle of “verify and trust” when it comes to dealing with anything in social media. Thus promoting critical thinking by urging media users to adhere to the “culture of skepticism.”  

The participants quickly connected these macro-concepts during the afternoon breakout sessions. Led by a dynamic team of speakers and facilitators, four parallel workshops offered deep dives into modern ministry.  

Ana-Liza S. Macatangay spoke on the topic, “Getting to Know the Roles of the Parish SocCom Team.” She began by breaking down the essential roles within the Parish SocCom team. Concurrently, Joenhel C. Arcilla shared practical tips on spotting fake news and navigating digital disinformation on topic “Spotting Fakes, Telling Truths: Media Literacy and Disinformation.”  

In another parallel session titled “AI for Ministry: Ethical Use, Cathechetical Content. And Creative Evangelization,” Omar P. Aguilar discussed the ethics of AI, showing ministers how to safely use it for catechesis and creative evangelization. Synchronously, Mark Manuel M. Montero paved the tracks to modern social media marketing strategies tailored specifically for church growth.

"Technology, when guided by faith and responsibility, can become a highway for communicating Christ," said Ryan Perez, who attended the workshop on AI for Ministry and Creative Evangelization.

Perez noted that learning to navigate new AI tools changed his perspective on modern ministry. "Effective and ethical use of AI safeguards the integrity of catechetical content. Innovation serves the Church not as a replacement for authentic witness, but as a creative aid to reach hearts and minds."

Sharing this perspective, Rev. Fr. Danilo V. Arnante of St. Peter Baptist Parish in Ocampo, Camarines Sur, and a digital content creator who has become prolific in sharing a priest’s life and ministry through social media, emphasized that while AI can help evangelize, teach, and create, it cannot replace empathy, presence, and genuine human encounter. "One lesson from the seminar [is that] while technology grows smarter, discernment must grow deeper, especially in detecting scams, misinformation, and using AI responsibly for truth and evangelization," Fr. Arnante noted. 

For other digital ministers, the conference provided practical blueprints for expanding the Church's online reach. Attendees learned that holy intentions still require effective digital strategy to cut through online noise. Elmer Registrado, who joined the Social Media Marketing workshop, walked away with concrete tactics to optimize his parish's digital footprint. 

"I learned that posting images and messages on social media must be timed carefully, specifically at 6:00 AM or 7:00 PM when people routinely check their phones," Registrado shared. He also emphasized the necessity of consistency and legality, noting that ministries must post at least three times a week per subject and strictly use licensed, authentic software to maintain digital credibility. Beyond algorithms and schedule optimization, the conference ultimately forced a deeper reflection on the core purpose of Catholic communication.

John Wilson Mota, CCCOM volunteer, summarized the ultimate vision of the historic regional event as a spiritual bridge. "The purpose of Communicating Christ is to unite people with God through effective communication," Mota said. He challenged his fellow church ministers to act as deliberate instruments of truth in an era easily compromised by online disinformation.

According to Mota, the conference leaves Bikolnon communicators with a clear, three-fold mandate aimed at transforming their ministry in the digital age. First, they are called to "be present" by recognizing and deeply feeling the presence of God in every online and digital endeavor. Second, they must "validate" their work, maintaining keen eyesight and attentive listening to ensure that all shared content remains entirely truthful and accurate. Finally, they are tasked to "enlighten" their communities by working in close collaboration with priests and parish leaders, ensuring that all outward communications bring genuine enlightenment and actively foster the growth of the Church.

The Episcopal Commission on Social Communications (ECSC), led by Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, organized the event in collaboration with the Caceres Commission on Communications (CCCOM) of the Archdiocese of Caceres and the Bicol State College of Applied Science and Technology (BISCAST) a state college in Naga City.  

The event took off through a paraliturgical ceremony presided by Fr. Jene Lois Sarmiento followed by a welcome remark by Caceres Commission on Communications Director, Fr. Francis Tordilla. And it meaningfully concluded through a mass presided by Archbishop Alarcon. Before the final blessing, the participants professed their commitment to serve as effective communication ministers by evangelizing through responsible use of social media, constantly seeking the truth, and exercising compassion, empathy and integrity.

As delegates return to their respective dioceses, they carry a unified strategy to ensure the Bikolnon Church communicates not itself, but the living Christ.