Making clothes ‘fit for a king’

COMMITMENT. Sally Surabilla, head of the embroidery department of the Asilo de la Milagrosa sews the vestments for the Holy Child image. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Sally Surabilla usually has sleepless nights at this time of the year.

As head of the embroidery department of the Asilo de la Milagrosa in Cebu City, Surabilla and two female workers were assigned to put together the entire ensemble of garments to be worn by the original image of the Sto. Niño every year.

The task is far from routine, she said.

“We’re not just making an ordinary dress. We’re preparing something for a king. And so, we’re doing the best we can so the Sto. Niño will look magnificent year after year,” Surabilla said.

This year, the original image of the child Jesus will be clad in a red velvet cape intricately embroidered with off white threads of sunflower corollas, apple green leaves, coupled with gold stalks and stitches.

INSCRIPTION

The details of Sto. Niño’s vestments are hand embroidered.

Each flower was hand embroidered on both sides of the cape that was made in the US.

As in previous years, a chalice or cup that holds the consecrated wine during the Mass is the centerpiece of the Sto. Niño’s cape.

The white velvet alb with narrow sleeves closely resemble the designs on the cape except for the golden cross and the sacred inscriptions “IHS” which stands for the Latin phrase Iesus Hominum Salvator, “Jesus the Savior of (all) Men”.

It also represents the “Most Holy Name of Jesus” from which the title of the Archdiocese of Cebu as well as Cebu City’s original name was derived from. The Sto. Niño is also fitted with undergarments: a kamiseta or undershirt of thin white cloth and pants.

‘ILIS’

The new vestments will be worn by the original image of the child Jesus within this week.

The usual venue for the ritual known as “ilis” is held either at the Grand Sala or the library inside the basilica.

Only the camareras or a selected group of women can change the clothes of the Holy Child.

In Spanish, a camarera means a chamberlain or lady-in-waiting and likewise refers to someone who acts as the caretaker of a monarch’s wardrobe.

VESTMENTS

The original image of the Sto. Niño that was given as baptismal gift by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu’s Hara Humamay (Queen Juana) in 1521 is stored in the chapel inside the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.

It is no longer brought out during the annual procession due to its fragility. The Augustinian friars, who have custody of the image, use a replica during the traditional hubo or changing of the image’s clothes after the Fiesta Señor, the original image of the Sto. Niño keeps the new vestments worn until next year.

It took about six months to finish all the vestments for the original image of the Sto. Niño.

Usually, there are other vestments that are delivered to the basilica.

GUIDANCE

But the most beautiful set which the head camarera prefers to use comes from the Asilo seamstresses.

Amelita Roden, a worker at Asilo who’s been designing the vestments of the Sto. Niño for 10 years, said every detail was well-thought of. Roden prays hard before making her designs.

She puts the design on a tracing paper attached to an abaca cloth, thin carton and velvet to make a pattern.

“While thinking about the design, I always seek divine intervention. I need guidance. There were times when I roam around and whenever I see something beautiful, I would take pictures of it,” Roden said. (To be concluded)