CEBU, Philippines - With the Fiesta Señor activities almost over, the Sto. Niño Museum located at the basement of the Pilgrim's Center received a lot of offerings from devotees and pilgrims who thought of adding to the Holy Child’s collection of gifts.
According to Maribel Emenido, the museum’s registrar, the museum has received various forms of gifts and offerings from donors, majority of whom choose to be anonymous.
She said that the museum, for the duration of Sinulog 2010, received at least 50 toys like balls, cars, airplanes, and house replicas. These are on top of the toys the museum received during the past years.
The Holy Child is still a boy after all.
The museum also received about 20 pieces of jewelry like gold necklaces, rings, bracelets, pendants and fashion accessories.
She explained that they have yet to receive other gift donations from the office of Fr. Rudy Bugna, the rector of the basilica.
Other forms of gifts that they received were bills of different currencies.
She said that there are Euros, Hong Kong dollars, US dollars, UAE dirhams, Norwegian Krones and Nigerian Nairas which were given by some tourists and foreign visitors.
What stood out, she said is an old P100 bill given by an anonymous Filipino donor.
There are also two glass panels which enclose about 200 assorted paper bills.
As of 2008, she said that the museum has already 700 toys and more than 500 pieces of jewelry.
The museum also houses at least 200 Sto. Niño vestments, garments and ceremonial capes, several old manuscripts and icons of the Holy Child of various sizes and materials.
It also keeps donations like bottles of perfume, sandals, and wristwatches.
The museum, according to Emenido has become a repository of people’s fervent devotion and veneration to the Holy Child.
Some of the toys which are not on display, she said, will be given to different orphanages here in Cebu.
Fr. Tito Soquiño, the spokesman of Basilica del Sto. Niño, said that people offer material gifts to the Sto. Niño as an outpouring of gratitude and an expression of faith.
“They hope that at the same time, makadawat sad sila og blessings gikan sa Sto. Niño…that’s in a form of reciprocation,” he said.
Throughout the operation of the museum, he said that they have not received any “questionable gifts” that are contrary to the values of a child and the Church.
“Hypothetically, wala pami kadawat ug gifts like toy guns kay supak sa teachings sa simbahan,” he said.
He added that the Sto. Niño de Cebu, usually garbed in a red robe should not be dressed beyond the Holy Child’s vestment.
“His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal ordered the prohibition of dressing Sto. Niño in green…people should give proper due reverence to the Sto. Niño,” he said. – Marjun A. Baguio/BRP (THE FREEMAN)