 He was the first Filipino rector of San Carlos Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila from 1973 to 1978.He was an auxiliary bishop of Manila (1976–1978) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Fernando (1978–1988).He served as a judicial vicar of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) National Tribunal of Appeals, and director of the CBCP Legal Office.