For the first time in its history, the centuries-old image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu will be ferried through Pasig River on Sunday to mark the 450th anniversary of its recovery and the arrival of Augustinian missionaries in the country.
The Order of St. Augustine (OSA) on Monday said the fluvial procession will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Intramuros ferry terminal in Manila and end in Guadalupe Viejo in Makati City. From there, the procession will continue on foot up to Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish.
The image is set to arrive in Manila on Friday and is also scheduled to be at Sto. Niño de Cebu Parish in Biñan City. It will return to Cebu province Tuesday next week.
The fluvial parade will follow a 7 a.m. Mass at Manila Cathedral. “This is the first time that the Sto. Niño will go on fluvial procession on Pasig River,” said Fr. Harolod Rentoria of OSA.
“This will be a chance for us to reflect when the Sto. Niño passes through the Pasig River, which was once a beautiful river but has now become polluted,” Rentoria said.
The 4-centuries-old image of the Child Jesus was given by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan as a baptismal gift to Rajah Humabon in 1521.
The procession is part of the devotees’ yearlong commemoration of “Kaplag,” or the recovery of the image in a partially burnt hut 450 years ago.–Jocelyn R. Uy