MANILA - When Monsignor Rex Andrew Alarcon was ordained to the episcopate, he became not only the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Daet in Camarines Norte, but also the youngest prelate in the country.

At 48, Alarcon is now the shepherd of half-a-million Catholics in Camarines Norte.

"To the people of God in Daet, maraming salamat po sa inyong mainit at marubdob na pagtanggap. Damang-dama ko ang alab ng inyong pananabik, hindi para sa akin, kung hindi para sa obispo," Alarcon said during his installation on Wednesday.

[To the people of God in Daet, thank you for your warm welcome. I felt your fervor longing, not for me, but for a bishop.]

Alarcon was officially installed as the local ordinary of the Diocese of Daet a day after his ordination. The ceremony was attended by Archbishop Gabrielle Caccia, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, and Archbishop Rolando Tirona of the Archdiocese of Caceres.

According to CBCP News, there are two Filipino bishops younger than Alarcon but they are serving outside the country.

It was last January when the Vatican announced Alarcon's appointment as the new bishop of Daet, succeeding Archbishop Gilbert Garcera who was transferred to the Archdiocese of Lipa in February 2017.

A native of Daet, Alarcon was ordained into the priesthood in 1996. In 2001, he obtained his licentiate in Church history at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.