MANILA: Pope Francis has established the new Diocese of Prosperidad in the province of Agusan del Sur. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website reported that the Vatican announced the diocese's creation on Tuesday. The Holy Father has named 58-year-old Bishop Ruben Labajo as the first bishop of the diocese, which comprises the province of Agusan del Sur. Labajo is currently serving as Cebu's auxiliary bishop. The Diocese of Properidad was part of the 57-year-old Diocese of Butuan, which now covers only Agusan del Norte. The Pontiff's decision to divide the Butuan diocese into two stemmed from a petition filed by its Bishop Cosme Damian Almedilla in 2023. Almedilla earlier described the division as a 'strategic move' to foster the spiritual growth of the faithful and to improve administrative efficiency within the respective dioceses. Prosperidad will be the country's 87th diocese. It will be a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. About one-third of the province's population are indigenous peoples. Source: Philippines News Agency