Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), the Catholic Church’s continental media arm that has carried the “Voice of Asian Christianity” for over five decades, will soon be under new leadership.
Filipino Divine Word Missionary priest Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD, has been appointed general manager, effective September 1.
The appointment was confirmed in an August 5 letter signed by Cardinal Jose Advíncula of Manila, chairman of the Philippine Radio Educational and Information Center, and Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit of San Pablo, chairman of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Office of Social Communication.
Fr. Felmar will succeed Claretian missionary Fr. Victor F. Sadaya, CMF, who has directed RVA since 2016.
Born in Davao del Sur in 1981, Fr. Felmar was ordained in 2008 and has since combined pastoral ministry with media apostolates.
He earned his Master of Arts in Theology magna cum laude at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay, and later obtained a Master of Science in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños.
He previously served in island parishes in Zamboanga Sibugay and later worked in Church media in Cebu. From 2014 to 2020, he was assistant general manager of the Word Broadcasting Corporation, and later its general manager until 2025.
He is also known for grassroots initiatives that foster interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Among these was his organization of the world’s longest sticky rice cake event in Zamboanga Sibugay, which gathered Muslims, Christians, and Subanen communities “in a gesture of peace and friendship.”
Fr. Felmar has taught journalism, broadcasting, and development communication at the University of San Carlos and Holy Name University, and remains active on digital platforms through blogs, YouTube, and social media.
His contributions to Church media and pastoral ministry have earned him the Excellence in Vocation Promotion Award (2012), the Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Blog (2017), and the Inspiring Religious Leader in Media Award from the 2023 International Golden Globe Achievers Awards.
Established in 1969 by the FABC, RVA began as a shortwave broadcaster transmitting the Gospel in multiple Asian languages, particularly to regions where the Church faced restrictions.
Based in Quezon City, it has since transitioned to digital platforms—websites, mobile applications, and social media—continuing its mission of evangelization, interreligious dialogue, and the promotion of justice, peace, and human development across Asia.
