May fluvial parade is for women devotees of ‘Ina’

NAGA CITY, Philippines—As a tribute to the role of women in the family and society, the Archdiocese of Caceres has organized an annual fluvial procession as one of the major activities of the Peñafrancia de Mayo, a month-long festival that showcases the Bicolanos’ faith in the region’s patroness.

Some 200 flower-bearing devotees rode on the pagoda of the Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia in the evening fluvial procession on the Naga River on Friday.

The May fluvial procession, which was started in 2001, is different from the regular annual Peñafrancia celebration held in September, said Fr. Louie Occiano, Caceres Communications Commission (CCOM) director.

The objective is to give women devotees of the Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, known to her faithful devotees as Ina, the chance to physically carry the image to the Danlugan (Port) near the Naga People’s Mall in the city center, where the pagoda, or the barge carrying the image, and smaller boats are waiting to ferry the image back to its official home, the Peñafrancia Basilica Minore, through the 3.8 km-long Naga River.

During the annual Peñafrancia celebration held in September, only male devotees have traditionally been allowed to accompany the image on the pagoda during the fluvial procession.

Apart from those who were given the opportunity to be with the image on the pagoda, Occiano estimated that there were also some 2,000 to 3,000 men and women devotees who rode on boats and waited on the banks of the Naga River with lighted candles during last Friday’s procession.

There were around 30 boats that joined the procession on the river, he said.

Among the women who were allowed to ride on the flower-bedecked pagoda was Farah Bongat, the wife of Naga City Mayor John Bongat.

Gem Enriquez, a Peñafrancia devotee, joined the May fluvial procession for the first time with the mayor’s wife. She said the experience was very much different from her regular devotion, which is joining the women voyadores (devotees) every September.

“It felt so beautiful, like I am so close to Ina. No words can possibly describe the experience,” she said.

The Peñafrancia de Mayo festivities this year started on May 4 with an archdiocesan pilgrimage and a Flores de Mayo celebration to welcome pilgrims from the different parts of Camarines Sur.