Philippine Independent Catholic Church

What Philippine Independent Catholic Church does

The Philippine Independent Catholic Church (PICC), also known as the Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente (ICFI), is a religious organization founded on August 3, 1902, by Don Isabelo de los Reyes, Sr. alongside members of the Union Obrera Democratica (UOD). The church seceded from the Roman Catholic Church and elected Gregorio Aglipay as its first Supreme Bishop (Obispo Maximo). It operates in the Philippines under an Episcopal form of polity and is led by ecclesiastical leadership including a Supreme Bishop, parish and diocesan councils, and an Executive Commission at the national level. The organization was officially registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission on January 8, 2003, legally reclaiming its name and exclusive right to it.

The organization delivers Catholic worship services, theological education, pastoral counseling, and chaplain services to Filipino laity and clergy through a domestic network of parishes and mission sites. Its programmatic emphasis includes laity empowerment, Sunday school and catechism classes, Bible study programs, and chaplaincy in institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons, military, and workplaces. The church received Apostolic Succession from the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA (PECUSA) on April 7, 1948, a key milestone in establishing its apostolic legitimacy. The organization underwent constitutional restructuring in 1977, departing from the Episcopal form of polity to a Congregationalist structure, which generated subsequent governance disputes, civil court cases, and a leadership ouster that left the original Filipino Church faction as a minority.

The church has a minimal digital footprint, with its primary web presence being a WordPress.com-hosted site at easternvisayaspicc.wordpress.com containing only default "Hello world!" content dated October 3, 2011. It does not operate any commercial products or technology offerings, has no pricing model, and generates no commercial revenue beyond voluntary congregational support typical of religious organizations. Its stated headcount is 8, and it has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external ownership structure.

Name

Philippine Independent Catholic Church

Website

https://easternvisayaspicc.wordpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Philippine Independent Catholic Church (Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente) is a religious organization founded in 1902 that delivers Catholic worship services, theological education, pastoral counseling, and chaplain services to Filipino laity and clergy through a network of parishes and mission sites in the Philippines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Pastoral care
• Theological education
• Chaplain services
• Community ministry

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Philippine Independent Catholic Church (PICC), also known as the Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente (ICFI), is a Filipino-founded independent Catholic denomination that provides Catholic Christian worship services, theological education, pastoral counseling, chaplain services, and community development programs. Established in 1902 following a schism from the Church of Rome, it operates under an Episcopal form of polity with an emphasis on empowering both clergy and laity in ministry.

Product overview

The Philippine Independent Catholic Church operates a basic WordPress.com-hosted website (easternvisayaspicc.wordpress.com) for organizational communication. The site contains informational pages including About, Vision/Mission/Goals (VMG), and Developer sections. No commercial products, services, or technology offerings are provided through this website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA (PECUSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 1948The Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA (PECUSA) provided Apostolic Succession to the Filipino Church on April 7, 1948. This was a critical milestone for the Philippine Independent Catholic Church's legitimacy and recognition within the broader Christian tradition. The relationship was initiated due to the Filipino Church's desire for apostolic continuity following its independence from Rome in 1902.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines: The episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is comparable as the organized governance body of the dominant Catholic institutional structure in the Philippines.
• Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines: The dominant Catholic body in the Philippines, the entity from which the PICC seceded in 1902. It is the primary incumbent the PICC competes against for Filipino Catholic worshippers.
• The Episcopal Church (USA): A historic Anglican body that provided Apostolic Succession to the PICC in 1948. It is comparable via shared Episcopal polity and theological lineage, though it is far larger and US-based.

Direct peers

• Aglipayan Church (IFI splinter groups): Successor organizations tracing lineage to Obispo Maximo Gregorio Aglipay and the 1902 Iglesia Filipina Independiente. They are direct schismatic peers of the PICC, sharing the same heritage but operating under different governance structures.
• Iglesia ni Cristo: The largest homegrown independent Christian church in the Philippines, founded in 1914. It is the most direct comparable to PICC as a non-Roman Catholic, Filipino-founded religious organization operating a national parish and mission network with strong institutional infrastructure.
• Anglican Church of the Philippines: A Philippine Anglican province with Episcopal polity serving a similar Catholic-adjacent Protestant tradition. Comparable in target congregation (Filipino Christians seeking Episcopal/Catholic-rooted worship) and country of operation.

Regional players

• United Church of Christ in the Philippines: A mainline Protestant denomination in the Philippines formed from unification of evangelical and reform churches. Comparable as a non-Catholic national Christian body with a parish structure and social justice orientation.

Emerging players

• Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association: A smaller independent Catholic body in the Philippines with Episcopal lineage. Comparable as a niche Filipino-led alternative Catholic movement, though significantly smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philippine-independent-catholic-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Philippine Independent Catholic Church