The Voyage

The world is not flat! This discovery of the Spain’s expedition commanded by the Portuguese navigator Hernando de Magallanes or Ferdinand Magellan, that set the record as the fist expedition to circumnavigate and confirm that the world is round is the same expedition that brought the image of Sto. Nino and the Catholic faith to the Philippine islands. On September 1519, a fleet of galleons under the flag of Spain set sailed in search for the Spice Islands. Instead they landed in a group of islands in the central part of the Philippines and in Limasawa island where Magellan declared possession of the (part of the Maharlika Kingdom of Asia) archipelago and named it after King Philip of Spain.

The Gift of Faith

Magellan's Cross in Cebu City

Without spices and in search of needed supplies, they continued their journey to the village of Zubu, now the City of Cebu, planted a mission Cross, befriended and converted into the Catholic faith the local chieftain Raja Humabon and his wife Hara Juana and the members of their tribe. As a gift on their baptism, Magellan gave the image of the Holy Infant Jesus, the Sto. Nino. A Sandugo, a blood compact was made between the two leaders and Magellan promise to fight with them against the neighboring tribe of the island of Matan, now Mactan. Magellan was killed in the battle of Mactan and the remnants of his forces returned to Spain using a different route, thus making the historic first voyage around the world.

The Rediscovery

It was 44 years later that the new group of Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and an Augustinian priest, Fr. Andres Urdaneta, a cosmographer from the Augustinian monastery in Mexico arrived in Cebu and find out that the new chieftain, Raja Tupaz was unfriendly to the newcomers. Skirmishes between the two groups left the village of Cebu in ruins. When a party was dispatched to check the village, a soldier, his name, Juan Camus found the image of the Child Jesus in one of the burning huts, the same image given to the former village chieftain’s wife, Juana 44 years earlier. The natives went back to their pagan ways and may have kept the image as an anito, or one of the native gods, as it was found with floral offerings.

The Prayer

Legazpi was said to have included this event in his report, “Relation of Voyage to the Philippine Islands”, to the king of Spain:

“Your Excellency should know that on that day when we entered this village (Cebu City), one of the soldiers went into a large and well-built house of an indio where he found an image of the Child Jesus (whose most holy name I pray may be universally worshipped). This was kept in its cradle, all gilded, just as if it were brought from Spain: and only the little cross, which is generally placed upon the globe in his hands, was lacking. The image was well kept in that house, and many flowers were found before it, and no one knows for what object or purpose. The soldier bowed down before it with all reverence and wonder, and brought the image to the place where the other soldiers were. I pray to the Holy Name of his image, which we found here, to help us and to grant us victory, in order that these lost people who are ignorant of the precious and rich treasure, which was in their possession, may come to knowledge of Him.”

The Answer

Since then, devotion to the Santo Niño has grown and has taken root in Filipinos’ popular piety, particularly in the Visayas, the central part of the Philippines group of islands. Pilgrims from different parts of the country make their yearly journey to the church, the Basilica Menore del Santo Nino or the Minor Basilica of the Santo Nino, in Cebu, to take part in the procession and festival. Different parts of the Philippines called this celebration differently: in Cebu, they call it Sinulog, Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan and in Tondo, Manila, Dinagyang in Iloilo and Binirayan in the province of Antique, to name a few. But all of them, all of these festivals, are centered on one and only purpose: the devotion to the Holy Infant Jesus, the Sto. Nino and His role in all of the Philippines’ embrace of the Catholic faith.

The Celebration

Iloilo Province celebrate the Feast of Santo Niño with a religious-cultural event called The Dinagyang Festival every fourth weekend of January after Cebu’s Sinulog and Kalibo’s Ati-atihan. Here are some snapshots of the event courtesy of RRGenciana Photography, Iloilo City.

Article sources: http://www.santoninogodevotion.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org, http://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com

Pictures courtesy of RRGenciana Photography, Iloilo City

Banog bird (local hawk) an endangered species
found at the WVSU Wildlife and Conservation
Park in Brgy. Jayubo, Lambunao

“The Binanog dance brings the soul of the Bukidnons to the limelight. It celebrates love and the spirit of the people as they perform to the symbolic beating of a gong. It is a simple dance of concentric circles based on the mating of banog birds (hawk). Each of the movements represents a commitment to action and involvement: the extension of the arms, the dignity of various foot works, and the recuperation of stillness. Performers pace themselves as they move to the steady heartbeat of the gong, they become one collective body. They dance for attention with each other. From the heart of their movements, the steps depict courtly pastime and stories that have been handed down over the generations.” – Bombette G. Marin, The News Today

Photo and article source: thenewstoday.info

To Check Iloilo Province and Western Visayas Festivals just click: http://iloilohangout.tigaswebs.com/festivals/

Going through hundreds of video clips in You Tube, I found some very, very interesting clips. A more than one hour series of eight documentary videos.

“The critically-acclaimed documentary, made possible by the Foundation for Worldwide People Power (FWWPP), is here at Ninoy Aquino TV (NATv)! An in-depth look at the people, places and events that transpired on that fateful day of August, which changed the political landscape of the country, and its destiny, forever!!! “–Ninoy Aquino TV

Since embedment is not allowed, please watch it in You Tube.

Please click  below

(Source: NinoyAquinoTV)

August 2003. We were preparing to celebrate our St. Augustine’s Day, patron saint of the University of San Agustin in Iloilo. I remember, I was busy in school co-curricular activities. That time, I think there were very few people talking about the coming home of “Ninoy” Aquino, whom I never knew and I have no idea what’s the big deal about his return.

It was a ordinary August night until around 7pm, just a few blocks from our home in Divinagracia street, hundreds of makeshift homes and several businesses destroyed by a big fire along the old railroad tracks just behind La Paz public market in just few hours. I remember the La Paz Fire Station is the nearest station in the area, their only fire truck was late to response and when on the fire scene was never able to help because of the many reasons: no gasoline? no water pressure? you guess. Whatever might be their reason, for me that big piece of rusting metal, painted red, should had been in the junk shop years ago!

I remember also the biggest fire truck of the Iloilo Citizens Action Group (ICAG), a very active volunteer fire group in Iloilo City, was damaged when it crossed the railroad tracks in the wrong spot. Despite of the crippled truck, they were successful in controlling the spread of fire in east side of the area. These guys, for me were the real fire fighters, heroes of the day!

And that very night after our dinner, we have power outage because of the fire. My big brother, a college senior, explained to me the best way he could, the significance of Ninoy’s home coming. I still didn’t get it!

The next day (or days later), late in the afternoon, I heard in the radio “they killed him, they shot him, they killed Ninoy”. I didn’t remember who said that nor on what radio station, but I realized later, maybe months later, after the Agrava Commission, after Cory’s nomination, after the May 1984 Election, after the Comelec employees walkout, after the civil disobedience rallies, after all the prayer vigils, etc….and especially after EDSA, that it was the turning point in the Philippine’s political history. And I realized too that you don’t need to be in a fire fighters’ suit to become a hero!

And for those who believe…the story of stuggle and heroism never ends…

Farewell to Madam Corazon Aquino. May you rest in peace….

Ako’y nagpapasalamat sa Panginoong Diyos na ginawa niya akong isang Pilipino”– Cory Aquino, September 2008

website dedicated to Corazon Aquino: http://www.coryaquino.ph/index.htm

(photo sources: reuters, yahoo news, usmilitarypi.com )

Museo Iloilo, repository of Iloilo’s illustrious past play host today to the book launching of “Iloilo, the Most Noble City: History and Development 1566-1898.”

Out on a limited edition, this highly-anticipated book is the masterpiece of Agustinian priest, Reverend Father Policarpo F. Hernandez, OSA.

Reverend Father Renato Cuadras, Archivist of the Archdiocese of Jaro called the book “the most important and most significant” ever published about Iloilo City.

“Father Hernandez has written a very informative history of Iloilo City with very interesting description of the people and the province before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1566. It gives a wealth of historical data on the Spanish period of more than three hundred years researched from the archives of Manila and Villadolid, Sevilla and Madrid in Spain, all from primary sources,” Father Cuadras said.

Special guests for the book launching are internationally-renowned experts, Iloilo’s pride in Professor Erick Zerrudo, Director of the Metropolitan Museum and Professor Bernardita Reyes Churchill, President of the Philippine National Historical Society.

“With the Museo Iloilo helping us in this endeavor, we are confident the book will be given its widest dissemination not only among historians but among Ilonggos as the document of our historia vitae,” Father Cuadras ended. “And more importantly, this is also in memory of Zaffy Ledesma II, champion of Filipino art and champion of Museo Iloilo.”

Ledesma II prior to his passing was working on the book launching as his pet Museo Iloilo project for the month of July.

See the review of Iloilo, the Most Noble City book here: http://www.newdaypublishers.com/bookreviews.php

( Source: The News Today )