David William Valencia Antonio was born in Nagtupacan,
Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur, on December 29, 1963. He attended philosophy classes at San Pablo Seminary in
Baguio, and theology courses at Immaculate Conception School of Theology in
Vigan. He was
ordained a priest on December 1, 1988, in the
Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. He earned a
Doctorate of Sacred Theology from
The Catholic University of America in 1999. After some years as professor at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology, he was appointed dean of studies in 1993, and then
rector of the same seminary. In 2005, he became parish priest in
Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur, and later
vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. On June 15, 2011,
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him
Auxiliary Bishop of Nueva Segovia and
Titular Bishop of
Basti. He was consecrated bishop on 26 August 2011 by
Giuseppe Pinto, then the
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. Co-consecrators were
Ernesto Antolin Salgado, the
Archbishop of Nueva Segovia, and
Orlando Beltrán Quevedo, the present
Cardinal-
Archbishop of Cotabato. On November 21, 2015,
Pope Francis named him Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of San José in Mindoro. On November 14, 2018, Francis appointed him
Bishop of Ilagan in
Isabela. On November 4, 2025,
Pope Leo XIV appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Nueva Segovia, succeeding
Marlo Peralta. He was installed to that position on January 14, 2026, at the co-cathedral and
Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption by Archbishop
Charles John Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, concelebrated by several bishops, including three Cardinals:
Jose Advincula,
Archbishop of Manila;
Orlando Quevedo,
Archbishop-Emeritus of Cotabato (and former Archbishop of Nueva Segovia); and
Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the
Dicastery for Evangelization, who gave the homily. ==References==