I was about to have a
visitation on my auntie’s house in Quiapo , Manila. That day was filled of
excitement because at last I will have seen the famous Quiapo church which
millions of devotees are exerting their sincerest efforts just to have a touch
on the miraculous Black Nazarene statue on its annual feast. It was my first
time to go in Manila.
From
San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, I took up a bus ride going to SM Fairview in
Quezon City as what they instructed me and there, I ride on the bus which has a
“Quiapo” signboard. The journey was quite long so I still have a time to take a
nap. After one and a half-hour, I have reached the Quiapo Church. I was amazed
by its beautiful structure so that it gets more beautiful in a personal view.
If
my memory serves me right, Quiapo Church, officially known as Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. The church is one of the
most popular churches in the country. It is home to the Black
Nazarene, a much venerated statue of Jesus Christ
which many people believe has miraculous attributes. The church was painted
cream after the original Mexican Baroque edifice was burned down in 1928. It is expanded to its
current form in 1984 for accommodation of thousands of devotees. Also known as
St. John the Baptist Parish, the church at present belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila.
Way back to its ancient times, Governor
General Santiago de Vera founded the District of Quiapo on August 29, 1586, the
Franciscan Missionaries built the first church of Quiapo with Bamboo and Nipa.
According to my auntie’s story, On
January 9, the parish commemorates the "TRASLACION", or the transfer
of the image from Luneta (formerly Bagumbayan) to Quiapo. This event is
participated by Millions of Devotees while Quiapo Church holds Novena of Masses
before the event. Many sick people come to see the Black Nazarene, hoping that
getting a chance to pray in front of its miraculous image would heal their
sicknesses. Others come for various intentions and the answers as well as the
miracles are attributed to the special presence of Our Lord in the Shrine.
After I have personally seen the
Quiapo Church, my auntie recommended me to go around the Manila to look for
other historical places for me to cherish my visitation there. My tour was
supervised by my cousin. So, our first drop was in the intramuros. From Quiapo,
we took up a jeep whose sign board is “Pier 15” and we landed at the exact
front of the Manila Cathedral nearby the Ayuntamiento and Palacio del
Gobernador. It was really astonishing to have a walk in the streets made in
bricks inside the Intramuros.
My cousin was starting to tell what
he knows about the antique walled city of the Philippines. He pointed that the
Intramuros is located along the southern bank of the Pasig River,
was built by the Spaniards
in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the
capital of the Philippines. Its name, in Latin, intramuros,
literally "within the walls", meaning within the wall enclosure of
the city/fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick,
high walls and moats. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was
considered Manila itself.
The plans for Intramuros were based
on King Philip II of Spain's Royal Ordinance issued on
July 3, 1573 in San Lorenzo, Spain. Its design was based
upon a star fort
or trace italienne (a very flat structure composed
of many triangular bastions, specifically designed to cover each other, and a
ditch) and covered 64 hectares of land, surrounded by 8 feet thick stones and high
walls that rise 22 feet. It was built to protect the seat of the Spanish
government from hostile native revolts, and raiding Chinese sea pirates.
It was overwhelming to stand in the
defending walls of Intramuros reminiscing some turning points of history
happened there.
Our next stop over was at the Luneta Park
which since then I have always seen it from the pictures only. it is a walking
distance from Intramuros to get there. The ambiance at the park is very
enlightening. Different people are gathered here to somehow forget the
noisiness of Manila. If I will to fathom
my understanding about Luneta Park, it is a broad topic.
Rizal Park is an urban park situated in the heart of the city of
Manila,
Philippines.
It is at the northern end of Roxas Boulevard, overlooking Manila Bay.
Rizal Park's history began in the early 18th century during
the Spanish rule. While Manila's social and business activities were confined
within Intramuros, a small area just south of the walls was cleared to prevent
sneak attacks from the patriotic natives. The area was shaped like a small moon
(lunette) and thus was named Luneta. The Park was also called Bagumbayan (English:
New Town) in
Spanish colonial era, and later known as Luneta.
Luneta has been the site of some of the most significant
moments in Philippine history . Among them are the execution of José Rizal
on December 30, 1896, whose execution made him a hero of the Philippine Revolution. (it was officially
renamed Rizal Park in his
memory); the Declaration of Philippine Independence from American rule
on July 4, 1946; the political rallies of Ferdinand
Marcos and Corazon Aquino in 1986; and the 11-hour hostage crisis on August 23, 2010.
The 0 km marker across the monument also serves as the
point of origin or Kilometre Zero to all other cities in the
Philippines.
The Rizal Monument in Luneta was designed by a Swiss sculptor
named Richard Kissling. Furthermore, Kissling was
only the second placer in the international art competition held between 1905-1907 for the monument design.
I felt grateful to have a visit on our national parks. It
makes me fulfilled that day, considering myself as a part of the Philippine
history.
