The Catholic world marks today the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Philippines, expect the celebration to go beyond the confines of Church liturgy.
There will be Marian-themed programs in every neighborhood, town, city and province which has for its patroness the Mother of Jesus under her numerous avocations or titles.
Not only that, countless Catholic lay organizations will hold devotional activities to mark this wonderful day, whether to go on outreach for evangelization, humanitarian missions especially in areas badly affected by natural calamities, or go on pilgrimages to Marian shrines that dot the length and breadth of our archipelagic country to mark this day in a special way.
Even business corporations are not spared from Marian celebrations. Shopping malls usually sponsor exhibits of Marian icons being venerated by local parishes to invite mall goers to trace the history of religious devotions that underline beautiful traditions based on the Christian faith. Pious families usually contribute to this undertaking by lending precious Marian icons handed to them from previous generations. Some friends of mine adopt a Marian title to identify their offices, and I won’t be surprised if I get an invitation to a party to mark the construction of an office building named Our Lady of Fatima.
All these devotionals are special, memorable and singular.
As I write, the province of Naga is bracing for the arrival of some one million tourists to take part in a centuries-old feast to honor the patroness of the Bicol region, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, affectionately called Ina by devotees.
The devotion to Ina began in 1710.
The tri-centennial in 2010 was a grand event which saw the civil government forming an interagency task force of Bicolandia’s local chief executives, national government agencies, private groups, police and the military who joined hands with the Archdiocese of Caceres to make the mammoth event not just orderly but notable for its piety.
The Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia Interagency Task Force as it was called had to be set up in September 2010 after President Aquino declared Naga City in Camarines Sur the Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines through Proclamation No. 33.
The novena to Our Lady of Peñafrancia begins four days from now with a 3-kilometer procession of barefoot men carrying the image of Ina from her shrine all the way to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral.
The festivities will culminate in a fluvial procession over the Naga River on September 20 to carry the icon back to the main church of Naga City. Needless to say, the Peñafrancia interagency task force has been revived to handle the religious event which has become a major tourist attraction.
Up north in Cagayan province, devotees of Our Lady of Piat formally known as Nuestra Señora de Piat, popularly known as Apo Baket, have just concluded fiesta celebrations in honor of the Holy Virgin last July 2.
The Cagayan Valley covers the northeast part of Luzon and borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao to the west, and Kalinga and Isabela to the south. The feast of Apo Baket in the capital city Tuguegarao usually enlivens other parishes throughout the Cagayan region and brings the merger of faith and tourism to the fore.
The feast of Apo Baket spurs coordination among national government agencies, LGUs, private and Church officials in ensuring that the gathering remains orderly and fervent despite the mammoth crowd that descends on Tuguegarao every year.
Needless to say, the shared faith has empowered communities in a unique way, one that encourages and makes people willing to help and work together, fosters peaceful societies that create healthy economies.
In many ways, the Marian theme is so significant in personal and public lives that it does make for an identity among Christian Filipinos, something that the national government has not appreciated or even chosen to ignore.
The Department of Tourism has declared 2015 as the Year to Visit the Philippines in a bid to become Asia’s top tourist destination. Malaysia used to dominate the tourism industry in the region, drawing up to 28 million in tourist arrivals last year. However, owing to back-to-back mishaps suffered by Malaysia’s flagship airline this year, the number is seen to taper off if not drop drastically.
The Philippines can pull the rug from under Malaysia’s feet but I think the slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” does not quite capture the unique identity of Catholic Christians in our country.
Indeed, tourism is not just about places, it is first and foremost about people. And as evidenced by numerous Marian feasts being celebrated almost every month in practically all parts of the country, except in areas where the cultural divide is very pronounced, Filipinos are Marian in their filial devotion.
Now, if only Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez could merge our amazing faith with our equally incredible natural resources in a very subtle concept, we would be on our way to become Asia’s top tourist destination.
The only setback is that the government cannot hope to make this a credible campaign. Under the Aquino administration, the Reproductive Health Law, which previous regimes from Ferdinand Marcos to Gloria Arroyo failed to pass, was approved. The law is in direct confrontation with the teachings of the Church on human life and family.
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