Photo: Borongan Digital Photography Forum ( Photo taken by: Alren Jerome Beronio)
The Padul-ong festival in Borongan, Eastern Samar, Philippines depicts the legend of how the image of the blessed Virgin Mary was mysteriously transported to the town from Portugal and how the enigmatic Lady in White who supposedly frequents the Hamorawan Spring located at the heart of the city gave the water its miraculous healing powers.
Every September 7th, people of Eastern Samar commemorate the Lady of Nativity as the patroness of Borongan. The procession of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary (a small statue) starts at 5:00AM in Punta Maria. From there, it is transported across the bay by banca to Rawis, parading the image through the town to the Borongan Cathedral. There are then re-enactments of the transporting of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the City plaza.
The story goes that a Portuguese woman requested the captain of a ship bound for the Philippines that she may travel there with them. The Captain, denied her request as he felt it improper to take one single woman on board a vessel with a crew of all men. For a time the vessel remained in the Port of Portugal since it could not sail due to bad weather. The captain slept a while in his cabin. When he awoke he opened a window to check the weather outside and was surprised to see the woman still sitting on her baggage on the docks, soaking wet and trembling with cold. The captain gave in and took pity on her and helped her aboard. He locked her safely in a cabin for fear that some of his crew members might take advantage of her.
Suddenly the weather turned clear and the sea calmed, and they were able to set sail to the Philippines. The journey was fast and smooth but it still took a month to reach the shores of the Philippines. Approaching the shore, the captain realised that he had forgotten to serve his guest a single meal in the entire trip. He ran in haste to the woman’s cabin but his visitor was dead. The captain then noticed the woman’s baggage — a rectangular wooden box that bore some letters which he believed to be the woman’s address.
Stormy weather took them off course and they had to dock at at Punta Maria on the island of Samar. When the captain asked a local what the name of the place was on the box, the native answered, “Borongan.” The natives of the area were all eagerly anticipating the contents of the rectangular box. When the box was opened there appeared to be a beautiful image of the Virgin inside. The natives were very happy to have received such a beautiful and rare gift. The news spread to the entire community and the image was placed in the church of Punta Maria for all to see. Soon after rumors started in the parish that a beautiful lady frequents the Hamorawon Spring some evenings, taking a bath and leaving behind a waft of heavenly scent, and those that saw her and bathed in the waters themselves were miraculously cured if their ails.
- See more at: http://www.somewhereintheworldtoday.com/festivals/padul-ong-festival/#sthash.ulFmCb1D.dpufBLOG BY: http://www.somewhereintheworldtoday.com/festivals/padul-ong-festival/
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