Jose Romeo Lazo

Jose Romeo Juanito Orquejo Lazo is a Filipino Catholic prelate. He is the Archbishop Emeritus of Jaro; he served as its sixth archbishop from 2018 until his resignation in 2025. and the sixth to have the title of archbishop.

Early life Lazo was born on January 23, 1949, in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.

Formation and ordination Lazo began his training for the priesthood at St. Peter's Seminary in San Jose, Antique, studying Philosophy from 1966 to 1970. In 1970, he transferred to St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Davao City, where he finished his philosophical training in 1971. He continued to take theological formation in the same seminary until 1973. The following year, he transferred to St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo City, where he finished his priestly training in 1975. He received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, on April 1, 1975, being incardinated in the Prelature (later Diocese) of San Jose, Antique.

Priesthood

Lazo began his ministry in 1975 in Dao, where he later became the parish priest until 1978. From 1978 to 1981, he taught at St. Peter's Seminary in Antique. He was given charge as parish priest of St. Peter's Parish from 1981 to 1983, while also being in charge of the Catechetical Institute of the Prelature of Antique.

On July 21, 2009, Lazo was appointed the fourth bishop of Antique by Pope Benedict XVI. He was installed on September 1, 2009.

In the CBCP Lazo worked as vice chairman of the Commission on the Clergy (of which he remains a member) and a member of the Commission on Seminaries from 2013 to 2015.

On February 14, 2018, Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis appointed Lazo as the sixth Archbishop of Jaro, succeeding Angel Lagdameo. Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, invested the pallium on Lazo on November 17, 2018.

On February 2, 2025, Pope Francis accepted his resignation and appointed Midyphil Billones, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, as his successor. Lazo officially stepped down on April 1, 2025 — the fiftieth anniversary of his priestly ordination.