The image of the Sto.Niño will make its first visit to the Señora dela Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu City as part of the 447th Kaplag Festival and the celebration of the Kadaugan sa Mactan on Saturday.
Fr. Tito Soquiño, executive director of Santo Niño de Cebu Augustinian Social Development Foundation Inc. (SNAF), said this year’s Kaplag Festival will include Naval honors for the Santo Niño in recognition of his rank as the Most Esteemed Captain General of the Spanish Forces in the Philippines.
A Mass at 6 a.m. on Saturday at the Basilica Minor Del Sto. Niño will signal the day-long activity. After the Mass, the image will be fetched by contingents from Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police.
They will carry the pilgrim image in a shoreline procession to the Malacañang sa Sugbo pier, where it will board a Navy vessel and cross the Mactan Channel.
Maritime tradition requires all vessels to dip their flags as a sign of respect while the naval vessels are at the formation.
Blowing of horns and gun salutes will also be part of the rites as the coat of arms of the image is displayed.
The image will disembarked at a private wharf and will proceed to the Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu where a Marian Mass will be celebrated on 8:30 a.m.
Fr. Jimmy Duero, parish priest of the Birhen dela Regla church, said they are expecting thousands of devotees of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus to flock their church.
The image will be back at Basilica by 12:15 noon after a farewell Mass.
Fr. Soquino said the Kaplag Festival is acommemoration of the discovery of the image of the child Jesus on April 28, 1565, by Juan Camus, a soldier of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in a burned nipa hut in Cebu, where the Basilica stands today.
He called on devotees to make not only personal prayers but also become devotees to Sto. Niño and Virgin Mary through helping in the conservation of the environment.