The Discovery of the Image of the Sto. Niño(by Don Vicente Rama)

Don Vicente Rama (Father of the Cebu City Charter) wrote an article on the arrival of Legazpi in Cebu (April 27, 1565) and the discovery of the Sto. Niño de Cebu. This was originally written in Cebuano and translated into English by Fr. Rudy Villanueva:

“By ordering the entire settlement put to the flame King Tupas had meant to leave the enemy without a roof over their heads. Instead, what this move accomplished that night was to show the settlement and surroundings of Cebu glowing brightly in a way no one had ever seen before. King Tupas and his subjects continued to push on from place to place, in search of an ideal place to hide.”

“The next day, a Saturday, was the 28th of April. A Spanish soldier from Vizcaya named Juan de Camus was on assignment inspecting various burnt areas of the settlement. He entered one unburned dwelling and there he found a box that had likewise been untouched by the fire. A length of rope was carefully wound around the wooden box made of ordinary palo fino.”

“Juan loosened the rope and pried the box open only to find inside a second, smaller box, also held fast by another length of rope. The soldier saw that it was an extraordinary box, indeed. He discovered a third box, hidden inside the second one, upon opening which, he found a small carving that he immediately recognized as a Santo Nino Image. The image wore a cap with colorful tassel and a loosely fitting shirt. The clothes were beautiful and looked new-which, according to the experts, adds further to the miraculousness of the image, since weaving fine quality fabric was not a Cebuano skill, then or any other time. Two fingers of the image’s right hand were raised in blessing, while the left hand held a round ball topped by a cross.”

“Juan de Camus carefully laid the statue in the crook of his arm and secretly brought it before his master, Mateo del Saz; and it was he who called General Legazpi’s attention to this wonderful find. Seeing the statue, Legazpi immediately commanded his men to venerate it and celebrate its finding every year on the 28th of April. He also ordered an acta to be written wherein the finding of the image would be recorded in detail. He entrusted that task to a chronicler whom he had brought along, one Fernando Requiel.”

“On that occasion, General Legazpi ordered a parade to be held; which did take place with all the Spaniards of the expedition in attendance. He further requested that the image be provided with its own chapel. On that original site the present church of the Augustinian Fathers stands today.”