Witness to the Word: Fr. Antonio Alagao, SVD

Fr. Antonio “Tony” Alagao is from Tayun, Abra. He entered Christ the King Mission Seminary in 1961, and was ordained a priest in 1972. He belonged to a batch that included the rebel priest Conrado Balweg. This period in Church history is the immediate post Vatican II time, when the Church was experiencing an aggiornamento, an updating of the church practices and redirection to adapt to the times. This was a challenging time of many changes, and the missionary had to cope with these developments.

Fr. Tony was first assigned to the SVD missions in Abra, working as assistant to then Bishop Artemio Rillera, SVD in Bangued.

In due time, he was appointed to work in the educational institutions of the SVD, and eventually became the president of Divine Word College in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. A debilitating sickness of the throat changed his mission course, and he was unable to speak. He had to use a gadget pressed to his throat to be heard. He is stationed in the SVD regional house in Bangued, and continues to serve as the supervisor the DWCB vocational/technical programs and archivist of the SVD Philippines North.

Fr. Tony, the mission continues... no physical defect or limitation can limit the zeal of a true missionary! The Witness to the Word goes on. Mabuhay ka! (Steve Villarosa)