Showing posts with label cebu city. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cebu city. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2009
Cebu stories and pics
I got home from my trip in Cebu City last week. I want to apologize that i posted so late in here for updates because I was been busy when i got home. A day after i arrived i went to Cagayan de Oro City to applied for a new passport to change my status. Well, back to Cebu City, when i got there i directly went to the St. Mary Euphrasia Center. It's where the counselling and seminar for Commission Filipino Overseas was held. It took me whole day for the said seminar. After the seminar my cousin met me at Ayala Mall and we took a ride going to their house where i stayed for 4 days. I had so much fun there with my cousin and her kids. We had time to go to Simala (i mentioned it in my last post). And yes! was a far place but it's worth the trip. You can really feel how holy is the area. Will share here some of my photos from Cebu City.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Simala in Cebu
Have you ever heard about the miraculous virgin Mary of Simala in Cebu? I have heard about this place in some of my friends and they said I should visit there when i will go back there. So as i planned to have my CFO (Commission of Filipino Overseas) interview as requirement to change status and name in my passport soon in Cebu City, I also want to see the said place. I am checking here online about the place and is this is what i found from Inquirer Net - In south Cebu, thousands of Cebuanos and other visitors from far and wide, climb up a hill to the Mother Mary Shrine in Simala, Sibonga town, bringing their faith and petitions for cures and other divine aid.
Each year, the crowd of devotees and first-time pilgrims seems to grow bigger.
January 1 is marked in the Christian calendar worldwide as a solemnity in honor of Mary as the mother of God, a day of obligation for Catholics to attend Mass.
At the Mother Mary Shrine in upper Lindogon in Barangay (village) Simala, Sibonga town, 48 kilometers south of Cebu City, devotees come by truckloads to be there every 13th of the month to hear Mass at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. or during the weekends at 3 p.m.
The shrine became “famous” after word spread that the image of the Virgin Mary was seen “shedding tears of blood,” a phenomenon that lacks scientific or official church validation but nevertheless draws more people to the area.
Driving to Simala shrine by private car from Cebu City means two to three hours on the road, barring heavy traffic in the outlying towns. Public buses ply the south Cebu route but one would have to get off a corner of the national road to reach upper Lindogon and hail a motorcab or a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) for P20 to take you to the shrine about four kilometers up the mountains.
At the site, one has to cross a foot bridge and walk up a concrete pathway to reach the church, an imposing concrete structure at the top of the mountain. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the peak, which offers a breathtaking view of green slopes and fresh air.
The Marian monks who maintain the shrine have also landscaped the area, which has a mini falls that cascades down a small pool and well-tended gardens.
Signboards warn people that picking the flowers would be like “stealing from Mother Mary”. Families can have picnics and meals in cottages built for visitors. Children like to throw coins in a wishing well which features a large bell. Carenderias outside the gates of the shrine are proof of the steady volume of visitors in Simala.
Those who grumble about the distance are quickly shamed by the sight of elderly men and women on wheelchairs and crutches who go there to hear Mass and line up to kiss the image of Mary. These senior citizens don veils on their heads while praying, the same one Mary wore when she “shed tears of blood.”
While the church exterior is imposing, the interior is clearly a work in progress. The floor doesn’t have tiles and the church is not completely roofed. The hall is filled with wooden pews that look up to an elevated makeshift altar, where the statue of Mary is visible. Scaffoldings around the makeshift altar show work still being done on the ceiling. The rest of the church has no ceiling yet, which makes it humid inside, eased only by the breeze that wafts inside the tall windows on each side of the church.
A major purpose of visitors and devotees who go to Simala is to offer their petitions. Blank sheets of paper and pens on which to write their intentions are prepared by the monks for one to drop in a box at the right side of the glass-encased Marian image. Thank you letters are dropped in a box to her left side.
Visitors in lone queues walk barefoot to the statue. Since the area is considered sacred ground, shoes and footwear have to be removed and modesty is part of the dress code. Wearing of shorts, body-hugging blouses or sleeveless shirts is not allowed. Visitors who come dressed in this attire are asked to cover up with sarongs or malongs, prepared by the monks at the entrance.
In front of the Marian image, one is given only a few minutes to either kiss or say a short prayer, so as not to hold up the line.
Two other lines lead to a display of veils similar to the one the Marian image was wearing on the day believers said the “Birhen sa Simala” “shed” tears of blood.
On one display, the veil is placed on a low altar, where one can kneel and place the veil on one’s head while praying. The other one is placed on another statue of Mary. To view this, devotees have to stand within the folds of the veil and hold on to the hands of Mary while praying.
The path leading to both veils is lined with wooden cabinets where written petitions and thank you letters from as far as the United States and other countries are posted. Most petitions ask for a divine cure for ailments of the seeker or a family member’s. Several petitions were made by students seeking to pass the Bar or board examinations. Others seek help in finding jobs abroad.
In another cabinet, thank you letters are laid out, full of gratitude to Mary for answered prayers. While waiting for the line to move, reading the letters is an engaging past time. One woman sent a package containing her nursing uniform, her offering of thanks to Mary for passing the nursing licensure examination.
Further on is a cabinet crammed with wheelchairs and crutches offered by those who were cured of their ailments. The sight is a moving, modern day wonder, echoing Bible stories about the sick and lame who were able to walk again or were freed from their maladies by Jesus Christ.
Now i am more eager to be there soon!
Each year, the crowd of devotees and first-time pilgrims seems to grow bigger.
January 1 is marked in the Christian calendar worldwide as a solemnity in honor of Mary as the mother of God, a day of obligation for Catholics to attend Mass.
At the Mother Mary Shrine in upper Lindogon in Barangay (village) Simala, Sibonga town, 48 kilometers south of Cebu City, devotees come by truckloads to be there every 13th of the month to hear Mass at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. or during the weekends at 3 p.m.
The shrine became “famous” after word spread that the image of the Virgin Mary was seen “shedding tears of blood,” a phenomenon that lacks scientific or official church validation but nevertheless draws more people to the area.
Driving to Simala shrine by private car from Cebu City means two to three hours on the road, barring heavy traffic in the outlying towns. Public buses ply the south Cebu route but one would have to get off a corner of the national road to reach upper Lindogon and hail a motorcab or a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) for P20 to take you to the shrine about four kilometers up the mountains.
At the site, one has to cross a foot bridge and walk up a concrete pathway to reach the church, an imposing concrete structure at the top of the mountain. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the peak, which offers a breathtaking view of green slopes and fresh air.
The Marian monks who maintain the shrine have also landscaped the area, which has a mini falls that cascades down a small pool and well-tended gardens.
Signboards warn people that picking the flowers would be like “stealing from Mother Mary”. Families can have picnics and meals in cottages built for visitors. Children like to throw coins in a wishing well which features a large bell. Carenderias outside the gates of the shrine are proof of the steady volume of visitors in Simala.
Those who grumble about the distance are quickly shamed by the sight of elderly men and women on wheelchairs and crutches who go there to hear Mass and line up to kiss the image of Mary. These senior citizens don veils on their heads while praying, the same one Mary wore when she “shed tears of blood.”
While the church exterior is imposing, the interior is clearly a work in progress. The floor doesn’t have tiles and the church is not completely roofed. The hall is filled with wooden pews that look up to an elevated makeshift altar, where the statue of Mary is visible. Scaffoldings around the makeshift altar show work still being done on the ceiling. The rest of the church has no ceiling yet, which makes it humid inside, eased only by the breeze that wafts inside the tall windows on each side of the church.
A major purpose of visitors and devotees who go to Simala is to offer their petitions. Blank sheets of paper and pens on which to write their intentions are prepared by the monks for one to drop in a box at the right side of the glass-encased Marian image. Thank you letters are dropped in a box to her left side.
Visitors in lone queues walk barefoot to the statue. Since the area is considered sacred ground, shoes and footwear have to be removed and modesty is part of the dress code. Wearing of shorts, body-hugging blouses or sleeveless shirts is not allowed. Visitors who come dressed in this attire are asked to cover up with sarongs or malongs, prepared by the monks at the entrance.
In front of the Marian image, one is given only a few minutes to either kiss or say a short prayer, so as not to hold up the line.
Two other lines lead to a display of veils similar to the one the Marian image was wearing on the day believers said the “Birhen sa Simala” “shed” tears of blood.
On one display, the veil is placed on a low altar, where one can kneel and place the veil on one’s head while praying. The other one is placed on another statue of Mary. To view this, devotees have to stand within the folds of the veil and hold on to the hands of Mary while praying.
The path leading to both veils is lined with wooden cabinets where written petitions and thank you letters from as far as the United States and other countries are posted. Most petitions ask for a divine cure for ailments of the seeker or a family member’s. Several petitions were made by students seeking to pass the Bar or board examinations. Others seek help in finding jobs abroad.
In another cabinet, thank you letters are laid out, full of gratitude to Mary for answered prayers. While waiting for the line to move, reading the letters is an engaging past time. One woman sent a package containing her nursing uniform, her offering of thanks to Mary for passing the nursing licensure examination.
Further on is a cabinet crammed with wheelchairs and crutches offered by those who were cured of their ailments. The sight is a moving, modern day wonder, echoing Bible stories about the sick and lame who were able to walk again or were freed from their maladies by Jesus Christ.
Now i am more eager to be there soon!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Danggit
You can’t talk about Cebuano food specialties without mentioning danggit. Also known as rabbit fish in English are small thin fish popularly sold in dried salted form. It is best paired with hot rice and dipped in vinegar (others prefer with crushed chili peppers). I like danggit most when is is fried(photo below).
Danggit is known to be as a poor man’s food like any other types of dried fish. But the rich and poor alike who loves to eat this typical Cebuano delicacy. This is also the most popular pasalubong aside from the otap, rosquillos and dried mangoes. So when you are planning to visit Cebu City do not forget to visit their markets and buy some danggit.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu in the Philippines, and is the second most significant metropolitan center in the Philippine Islands. The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu, and is the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port, and is home to more than 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. Cebu also holds the second largest international flights in the Philippine Islands, and is a significant center of commerce, trade, and industry in the Visayas, and Mindanao region. Cebu city is an important cultural center in the Philippine Islands. The city's most famous landmark is Magellan's Cross. This cross, now housed in a chapel, was supposedly planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in the Philippine Islands in 1521. This religious event is celebrated on the islands cultural festivities known as the Sinulog festival, held every third Sunday of January which celebrates the festival of the Santo Niño, the patron saint of Cebu. The Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-hispanic indigenous origin. The dancer moves two steps forward and one step backward to the rhythmic sound of drums. This movement resembles somewhat the current (sulog) of the river. Thus, the Cebuanos called it Sinulog.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Dried Mango
If you are looking for something sweet and healthy food as well while you are here in the Philippines, then you might try Cebu's dried mangoes. It is the best tasting dried mangoes in the country, if not in the world. Though there are a lots of mangoes from other part of the country but Cebu City has the reputation for have fresh and sweet mangoes. The tasty, nutritious and convenient dried mangoes have become a huge hit and a standard food pasalubong (gift) to take to friends and relatives in the West.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sto. Niño Feast
The Holy See has approved special liturgical texts for use during the local Feast of the Santo Niño in the Philippines, set on the third Sunday of January. The festival that follows is known as the Sinulog, which combines the street festivities and religious devotion of the Cebuano people. The Santo Niño was long considered to be the patron "saint" of Cebu. However, the Santo Niño is a representation of Jesus Christ as a child. The Catholic Church in the Philippines sets the Holy Child as an example of humility and as a celebration of the Incarnation. Many Cebuanos do not consider the Christmas Season over until the Feast of the Santo Niño. With this in mind, in 2002, the Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, declared Jesus' mother Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe to be the principal patroness of Cebu. This upset some Santo Niño devotees, who felt that the declaration "demoted" the Holy Child. However, the declaration is consistent with Catholic thought requiring a patron saint be a human saint who has gone to his or her heavenly reward and who prays to God on behalf of the living, rather than a divine being himself. Since the Holy Child is a representation of Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, he cannot, as God, be considered a patron. In that sense, Cardinal Vidal's move was to actually install a patron saint for Cebu, when before there was none. He did not, however, abolish the feast or the traditional street celebrations. The novena begins with a recitation of the rosary, followed by various Philippine native songs and prayers. These prayers include a thanksgiving prayer, a blessing for the hosting family, an act of consecration prayer, and a prayer for the sick.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sinulog Festival
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The word Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which is "like water current movement," which describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance. The dance consists of two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of drums. The dance is categorized into Sinulog-base, Free-Interpretation. Candle vendors at the Basilica continue to perform the traditional version of the dance when lighting a candle for the customer, usually accompanied by songs in the native language.The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Christianity.The festival features a street parade with participants in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate, and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a "Sinulog sa Kabataan", performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the grand parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex. The Sinulog celebration traditionally lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession is held at dawn with the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, decked with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing of Cebu is performed. In the afternoon, a more solemn procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the event. On the feast day at the Basilica, a Pontifical Mass is celebrated by the Cardinal with the assistance of several bishops of Cebu. Most devotees go to the Basilica to attend the mass before heading out to the streets to watch the parade.
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