Gilbert Armea Garcera
Gilbert Armea Garcera was born February 2, 1959, in Magarao, Camarines Sur. He was educated at Holy Rosary Seminary, Naga City, earned a master's degree in theology at Ateneo de Manila University, and a doctorate in organizational planning and development at SAIDI, Antipolo City.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres in 1983 at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. He served as assistant parish priest at the Metropolitan Cathedral, as vice-rector of the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia (1991–1992), as rector and then parish priest of San Francisco Parish, Naga City (from 1997), as Archdiocesan Director of the Caceres Catechetical Ministry (1987–1995), and in CBCP and Pontifical Mission Societies roles.
He was appointed Bishop of Daet in 2007, and consecrated on June 29, 2007, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. He was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Lipa on February 2, 2017, succeeding Ramon Arguelles, and was installed on April 21, 2017, at San Sebastian Cathedral.
No decree, permission, suppression, expansion, or transfer of the Traditional Latin Mass naming Archbishop Garcera, in Daet or in Lipa, was found. No Lipa diocesan Traditional Latin Mass site was evidenced either before or after July 16, 2021.
The often-cited Lipa 'traditional-friendly' history belongs to his predecessor, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who retired in 2017, before Traditionis Custodes, and is not attributed to Garcera.