Diocesan Arms
BLASON:
Or, within a roundel Gules and standing on a mound Cendree with seven streams, a Paschal lamb passant and reguardant, supporting with its Dexter shoulder a banner Argent charged with a cross Gules, around its head a nimbus also Argent.
DESCRIPTION:
The gold field represents light, since “Laoag”, the name of the Episcopal See, is derived from the Ilocano word “lawag” which means “light”, or “clarity”.
Enclosed in a circular aureole is the Lamb of God, who Himself proclaimed: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12; cf. 12:46; 9:5; 1:4,9). The Book of Revelation states: “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it,” (Rev. 21:23-24; cf. Rev. 22:5; Is. 60:19–20). Thus, the Lamb stresses the name of the See.
The hill on which the Lamb stands is in allusion to Rev. 14:1, “Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb”; for the prophet Isaiah said: “for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion” (Is. 24:23; cf. Micah 4:7). The hill is also symbolic of the Church, of which Christ is the Good Shepherd. The seven streams which flow on the hill from the Lamb represent the seven sacraments.
(Adapted from the explanation given by + MARIANO A. MADRIAGA, D.D., Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.)
Previous version:
*******************
FIRST BISHOP OF LAOAG
Antonio Lloren Mabutas
(June 5, 1961 - July 25, 1970)
DESCRIPTION:
Two coats impaled: the dexter, that of the See of Laoag; the sinister, the assumed arms of His Excellency.
THE ASSUMED ARMS OF HIS EXCELLENCY:
Upon a green terrain and between two gold roses drawn in heraldic way, debruised by two clasped hands, is an aroo or agoo tree, called scientifically “Casuarina equisetifolia” (Forst). The aroo or agoo tree is the plant from which the town of Agoo got its name. The clasped hands signify “union”, an allusion to the name of the province “La Union” to which Agoo belongs. The province of La Union was formed by towns detached from Pangasinan and from Ilocos, The aroo is one of the most durable Philippine woods. The beams of the roof of St. Monica Church, in Sarrat are of aroo, and they have been placed there for over two centuries already. The same could be said of many other churches in La Union, both Ilocos and Abra, all of which had withstood fires, earthquakes, and typhoons. The bark and the roots are used in infusions for medical purposes. If the tree is not pruned, it shoots upwards in an elongated cone.
The “agoo” tree is, therefore, symbolic of virtues which a Bishop must have, namely: rapid ascent in spiritual perfection, fortitude in supporting his flock and in curing their spiritual ills.
The book surrounded by fishes in the dexter canton symbolizes St. Anthony of Padua, the Patron Saint of His Excellency who was born on the Saint’s feastday. St. Anthony is the only Doctor of the Church who preached to fishes when men refused to hear him.
On the sinister canton is the Dominican Cross flory or fleurie, black and white counterchanged. His Excellency is a Dominican Tertiary, admitted while studying in the faculties of Education and Canon Law in the Dominican University of Santo Tomas.
The golden roses symbolize the Blessed Virgin to whom His Excellency professes a very tender devotion. Roses in heraldry are usually five-petalled. Between the petals are thorn-like projections which symbolize, according to the late Mr. Pierre Chaignon La Rose, who designed most of the arms of older
Bishops of the United States, the rose is the Blessed Virgin's "fairest symbol" (THE ECCLESIASTICAL REVIEW, Vol. 56, June 1917, p. 622; also Vol. 64, Year 1927, p. 597). The Italian DIZIONARIO ARALDICO, 2nd. Edition, by Count G. Guelfi Camaiani, hints to us the reason why the rose is Our Lady’s fairest symbol. Because the Virgin, it says, is also called the Rose of Jericho, Rose of Sion, etc..., because of her divine fragrance that perfumes everything. Yellow or gold is the most honorable tint in heraldry, so the roses must be gold.
THE MOTTO:
The motto is SENTIRE CUM ECCLESIA, “to think, fuel with, and to be of the same opinion and judgment as the Church”.
It has been the constant insistence of the Apostles that the faithful keep unity by being of the same mind and sentiments (Rom. 2: 16; 15: 5–6; 2 Cor. 18: 11; Phil 1: 27: 2: 22: 4: 2; Eph. 4: 4; 1 Pet. 3: 8). Because each one is member of one mystical body (Rom, 12: 4–5; 1 Cor. 12: 12; 13: 27; 10: 17; Col. 3: 15). The Apostles also insisted that the faithful be obedient and loyal to their Prelates and superiors (Heb. 13: 7, 17; 1 Thas. 5: 12; Gal. 1: 8–9), to stick to the gospel which the Apostles themselves preached—all these mean, in the whole, “to think and feel with the Church and to be of the same mind, opinion and sentiments”.
EXTERNAL DECORATION OF ARMS:
The shield is surmounted by a green heraldical ecclesiastical hat with green cords issuing from each side and ending with six green tassels arranged into 1, 2, and 3. Green is the heraldical tint proper for Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops who are not Cardinals,
The miter, heraldical processional cross and crozier for all Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops, residential or titular, are golden. The heraldical processional cross for a mere Bishop must have only one cross-beam; for an Archbishop, two cross-beams.
+ MARIANO A. MADRIAGA, D.D.
Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
*******************
SECOND BISHOP OF LAOAG
Rafael Montiano Lim
(February 12, 1971 - January 26, 1978)
DESCRIPTION:
Two coats impaled: the dexter, that of the See of Laoag; the sinister, the assumed arms of His Excellency.
On a red field between two trees drawn naturally is a golden pilgrim staff with a gourd, a traveler's wallet, a fish debruised by the staff. At chief a golden Chi Rho, at base a silver crescent.
The Bishop's arms is called canting arms. It suggests his name. His family name is “Lim” in Mandarin, In Amoy, “Lin” which means “a cluster of trees” or forest represented by two trees. The staff and the gourd and traveler's wallet are attributes of St. Raphael Archangel, the patron Saint and namesake of the Bishop. The Archangel accompanied Tobias Junior from Nineveh and Rages in Media to recover ten talents of silver deposited to Gabelus. On the Tigris a fish wanted to eat Tobias Junior but was seized and roasted for food except the heart, liver and gall kept for medicine. He advised him to marry a relative and he himself went to Rages to receive the money from Gabelus.
The Chi Rho explains the pastoral as well as spiritual program of the Bishop. The crescent at base is a symbol of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Bouc in Marinduque, his native town, and of Lutucan, Sariaya, his first parish.
The motto: “Mihi Vivere Christus”, “What is life? To me, it is Christ” (TEV) or “To me to live is Christ” (RSV) or “To me ‘life’ means Christ” (NAB) or “To me Life is Christ” (NEB). ”Life to me is Christ” (Jerusalem). “For me to live means Christ” (Kleist & Lilly). “Living to me means simply ‘Christ’” (Philipps), This is from Philippians 1:21.
by + MARIANO A. MADRIAGA
Archbishop of Lingayen-Daqupan
*******************
THIRD BISHOP OF LAOAG
Edmundo Madarang Abaya
(December 11,1978 - May 22, 1999)
DESCRIPTION:
Two coats impaled: the dexter, that of the See of Laoag; the sinister, the assumed arms of Bishop Edmundo M. Abaya, D.D.
ARMS OF BISHOP EDMUNDO M. ABAYA, D.D.
MOTTO: COR ARDENS CARITATE
Heart burning with love.
In these sensitive times of rapid changes and future-shock, a bishop, to be an adequate pastor of the flock has to have an infinite capacity for patience, for he has to be the shock-absorber of the turbulence that the People of God increasingly encounters in its present-day pilgrimage.
The new Bishop feels that everlasting patience requires the energy of burning love for God's people.
The challenge that the new Bishop discerns in his call to the episcopate is to love his people unto the end.
THE BACKGROUND:
The all blue backdrop reflects the calm persistence and hardihood of the Ilocos Region the Bishop comes from and is called upon to serve. The inhospitable land yields only to endless patience.
THE SYMBOLS:
On chief, two long-stemmed lilies between which is the Dominican cross.
The lilies suggest the life-long devotion the new Bishop has held for St. Joseph, whose staff is said to have bloomed amid the staffs of other pretenders to the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The new Bishop was born on a day popularly associated with St. Joseph, the 19th day of the month. He derived his childhood formation in a school named after the Saint, devotion to whom was constantly encouraged. And the first two parishes entrusted to him were under the titularship of St. Joseph.
The Dominican cross betokens the Bishop's priestly formation in U.S.T. General Seminary, where he was enrolled as Dominican tertiary.
On center, three hearts burning side by side together, suggest the motto of the Bishop. They also support his family names: ABAYA (abay al - a dialect for side by side together); MADARANG (burning or aflame). The burning hearts are reminiscent of the disciples on the way to Emmaus, when they encountered the Risen Lord, The new Bishop is answering the call to oversee a diocese, whose arms emphasize the Risen Lamb of God.
At base, a sprig of the kandong tree from which his hometown derived its name.
Adopting the solid trust in God and the unobtrusive patience of St. Joseph the new Bishop hopes to shepherd his flock with energy and affection of a HEART BURNING WITH LOVE.
by: Archbishop Mariano A. Madriaga, D.D.
*******************
FOURTH BISHOP OF LAOAG
Ernesto Antolin Salgado
(December 7, 2000 - February 12, 2005)
DESCRIPTION:
The Bishop's Coat-of-Arms consists of two colors:
WHITE AND BLUE – to indicate his life-long devotion to our Lady, after whose Immaculate Conception have been named the seminaries, in which he has served for twenty of his thirty nine years as a priest;
WHITE & YELLOW – these official colors of the Church suggest the dedication to the People of God that his motto implies.
The Coat-of-Arms includes:
1. Pastoral Symbols – Chalice and Bread: his priestly has been almost exclusively dedicated to preparing seminarians for priestly service. This symbol also highlights the fact that his call and ordination to the episcopacy came within the National Eucharistic Year of the Philippines.
2. A Symbol of spirituality – the Benedictine emblem, which indicates that the Bishop is a Benedictine Oblate; it implies, too that his first area of Episcopal responsibility was the Province of Benguet and the City of Baguio where he worked to serve God's People in the way of peace.
3. A Personal Symbol – a domed church, which is to imply his place of origin, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur, the only town in his province which has a domed church.
The Bishop's motto: PRO POPULO CONSECRATUS.
The motto is inspired by John 17, 19: “for their sake, I dedicate myself” to stress the bishop's intention and willingness to devote his life for God's people. The Bishop's call to the episcopacy, coming as it did in the National Eucharistic Year, is then a call to Christ-like consecration in the Eucharist, so that his Episcopal ministry may become a part of the ONE BREAD to nourish ONE PEOPLE of God to become the ONE BODY of the Lord
(by + Msgr. Venancio Acas)
*******************
FIFTH BISHOP OF LAOAG
Sergio Lasam Utleg
(November 13, 2006 - June 15, 2011)
DESCRIPTION:
The Cross
The black and white cross of the Order of Preachers on top of the shield serves as a reminder of the priestly formation which Bishop Sergio L. Utleg received from the Dominicans at St. Vincent Institute in Solana and the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary.
The Shield
The blue wavy line parting the shield represent the Cagayan River, on whose banks the Bishop grew up and worked, which empties into the Babuyan Channel near Aparri, his last parish assignment; the white dove on a gold background symbolizes the Spirit of freedom; gold stands for nobility and power, white for purity and humility; both are Papal colors. The blue fleur de lis represent Our Blessed Mother of Piat, the Patroness of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao and of the Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc, the patroness of the Diocese of Laoag; the red Alpha and Omega symbolize the ever-burning Truth; the Green background is the symbol of life and hope. The sheep symbolizes Jesus Christ, watching His flock on the Cordilleras and the rivers that nourishes the Diocese of Laoag to which he is assigned.
The Motto
The Bishop’s motto is ‘VERITAS LIBERABIT VOS’ (John 8:32) which means “the truth shall make you free” in accord with the Fifth National Eucharistic Congress and its theme, “The Eucharist and Freedom.”
*******************
SIXTH BISHOP OF LAOAG
Renato Pine Mayugba
(October 12, 2012 - present)
DESCRIPTION:
As per ecclesiastical heraldic tradition, the coat of arms of the incumbent bishop is impaled with the coat of arms of his jurisdiction, the Diocese of Laoag, symbolic of his spiritual marriage to his See. The dexter (viewer’s left) side has the place of honor in heraldry, thus the Diocese’s coat of arms is to be placed at the dexter.
On the sinister side is the personal coat of arms of His Excellency, Most Rev. Renato Pine Mayugba.
The eagle is a symbol of St. John the Evangelist, patron saint of the bishop's home archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. The laurel symbolizes Our Lady of Loreto, and is also a symbol of peace, which the Risen Christ gave to his disciples. The bishop aspires to be a bearer of peace. The eagle also symbolizes his tendency to soar high toward the theology of mysticism but the Marian laurel reminds him to be humble.
The sunflower, which always orients itself to the sun, reminds the bishop to always orient himself to the Eucharist. It also reminds him of Baguio City, the place where he grew up and discovered his priestly vocation.
The lilies and book are symbols of St. Anthony of Padua, and reminds the bishop of his duty to preach the Gospel without condemning people and to always presume their innocence.
The cross is designed similar to a Benedictine cross, however, the acronyms are changed into CMPB, which stands for the Cenacle of the Most Precious Blood, which the bishop established in the Diocese of Laoag.
The green galero with six tassels pendant at both sides, along with the processional cross indicate that the bearer of the coat of arms is a Bishop.
“Linum fumigans non extinguet”, from Isaiah 42:3, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice.”
Previous version:
