Samuel Agcaracar

Samuel Naceno Agcaracar is a Filipino Catholic prelate, serving as Bishop of San Jose in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, since 2026.

Early life and education

Agcaracar was born on December 4, 1969, in Claveria, Cagayan, to a family of farmers. He studied at the Divine Word College of Bangued, graduating with a bachelor's degree in History of Religious Education, before continuing at the Divine Word College of Laoag, where he obtained a master's degree in education.
Entering the seminary after being a teacher and catechist in his hometown, he took up his philosophical studies at the Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City, followed by his theological studies at the Divine Word School of Theology in Tagaytay. He then studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he was awarded a doctorate in missiology.

Ministry

Priesthood

Agcaracar entered the novitiate on June 1, 2001, and took his first religious vows on June 2, 2002. He then had his perpetual vows on May 14, 2006, and on February 3, 2007, he was ordained to the priesthood.
Following his ordination, he was assigned as the director of education at the Divine Word College of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro, a role he took up until 2008. From 2011 to 2014, he was a professor at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay, where, since 2020 until his episcopal appointment, was its rector.

Episcopate

On November 21, 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed him Bishop of San Jose in Nueva Ecija, becoming the fifth bishop of the diocese. He succeeded Roberto Mallari, who was transferred to the Diocese of Tarlac in March.
Agcaracar was ordained to the episcopate on January 17, 2026, at the Divine Word Seminary by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, with Apostolic Nuncio Charles John Brown, and Pablito Tagura of the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose in Mindoro as co-consecrators.

Environmental advocacy

Agcaracar founded the SVD Laudato Si' Farm, a farm in Tagaytay which opened in 2021. Inspired by the namesake encyclical of Pope Francis, the farm's beginnings began when priests and seminarians cleared around six hectares of land for plantation to address their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. It has evolved to an eco-tourism destination, drawing around 5,000 visitors every weekend.
In 2025, he noted that farmers, despite their vital role in food production, are seen as the "poorest of the poor" and emphasized the need to uphold their dignity. He also said that the Laudato Si' Farm allowed him to reconnect with his family's roots and to empower more farmers.