MANILA, Philippines - Visiting Dapitan, the shrine city of the Philippines, is both a religious and cultural experience.
Flying via Philippine Airlines on July 24 to catch the sinug, we became part of a dancing crowd swaying and waving their San Francisco branches before the statue of St. James on a horse in the town plaza. It was a ritual to ask for favors or thank the saint for prayers answered.
I whispered to “Santiago” (Spanish for James) that I may be given a branch, too, as a sign that he will answer my prayer. One of them is that I may be able to go to Santiago de Compostela again in Spain in July 2009. Out of the blue, a couple gave me a branch. I didn’t know them, so it must have been from the saint. I shouted with joy knowing the saint will answer my prayer.
The next day, my friend Ali Rich Garcia and I, with Elena Abad, senior tourism officer and Councilor Apple Marie Agolong, attended the fiesta Mass at St. James the Apostle Church. Bishop Jose Manguiren celebrated with 18 priests and four deacons. The church is old, with and high ceiling. Councilor Agolong estimated the number of churchgoers to be at least 2,000.
Devotees
As the Jesuits began the evangelization of the natives in the early 17th century, they came upon Dapitanons who were being harassed by Moro pirates. They chose St. James the Greater, the patron saint of Spain, who helped the Christians fight the Muslim pirates in the Battle of Caviglio in the year 844 AD. He helped them 40 times. He was called “Santiago Matamoros” (Santiago the Moorslayer).
Santiago would appear in full battle gear astride a white horse, a banner in one hand. Tradition says he slay thousands of Moors. This is the origin of the “Kinabayo Festival” to commemorate the battle of St. James against the Moors.
Rizal Shrine
Elena Abad explained Dapitan is called Shrine City because it was where Jose Rizal lived years before his execution at the Luneta on Dec. 30, 1896. He wrote a poem “Mi Retiro” and “Himno a Talisay” and inscribed them on a natural heart-shaped rock.
The name Dapitan
The name “Dapitan” comes from the Visayan vernacular gidapit meaning “invited.” In 1563, Datu Pagbuaya with 800 followers settled in the place after fleeing Bohol where they were defeated by Ternatan invaders. Datu Pagbuaya was the first chieftain to call the new settlement “Dapitan” because he felt he and his followers had been invited to stay.
Mayor Jun Jalosjos, second-term mayor of Dapitan, talked about the concerted effort to make Dapitan a tourist destination. We saw improvements all around. It felt good driving through Sunset Boulevard facing the Sulu Sea with Marlo Empeynado behind the wheel. Then, there was the newly built mall called Gloria de Dapitan, and pension houses lining the streets expecting the influx of visitors, especially in May and December.
Alvenda farm
We were blessed to have been able to visit the farm of Rey Adasa in the municipality of Mutya, 30 minutes from Dapitan. Dalisay Empeynado-Jao showed us the flowers and fruit trees growing in the 18-hectare area. The flowers and fruits are sold in nearby Dipolog, but what was truly nice was the peace and quiet we enjoyed just sitting around and talking.
Another place we enjoyed was the Dapitan Resort Hotel where we were billeted for one night.
Walking-free mission
The Physicians for Peace Philippines has committed to helping amputees walk again through prosthesis. At the first national convention for prosthesis for amputees last July 14 at Manila Hotel, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said we should replicate our efforts to help the disabled walk again.
There are eight million disabled people; one million are amputees. The Physicians for Peace International sends raw materials to the PFP Philippines to use in assembling prosthetics.
Rolando de la Cruz, a technician trained abroad is now training other technicians here. American technicians come to Manila twice a year to teach.
PFP, with the UP College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, has partnered with Mahaveer Foundation, Washington Sycip, Mu-bility Amputee Support Program, Kampangan Development Foundation, Rotary Club International District 3810, Vicente and Juanita Hao-Chin Foundation, Filipino American Physicians of Washington Association and Department of Social Welfare and Development.
If you know of a poor disabled in need of free prosthetics, call 5369605 or e-mail Dr. Josephine Bundoc at jrbundoc2003@yahoo.com Thanks to Dr. Juan Montero for starting PFP Philippines in 1998, but brought PFP International in a mission in l994 to Tandag, Surigao del Sur, his home province.
Operation Blessing
It feels good to know there are people who care for the less fortunate. Operation Blessing, headed by Peter Kairuz, president, and Dr. Kim April Pascual, vice president, gives free wheelchairs to the poor disabled, in partnership with the Free Wheelchair Mission and Adventist Development and Relief Agency. Since July 2007, 1,410 wheelchairs have been given away.
Operation Blessing has also helped the Dumagat tribe in Montalban, Rizal, get safe drinking water by drilling eight deep wells. Call 8120581 or visit www.obphil.com.
San Roque chapel
Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros will bless the new Chapel of San Roque in San Rafael, Bulacan, on Aug. 16, 9 a.m. Architect Jovie Pancho designed the chapel.
