CEBU, Philippines — At least 100 vessels with faithful onboard joined the fluvial procession of the image of Nuestra Señora de Regla yesterday, November 12.
The fluvial procession was one of the religious activities in celebration of the 289th Feast Day of Nuestra Señora de Regla in Lapu-Lapu City. This year had the theme: "Pagtugyan sa kaugalingon ngadto sa Dios pinaagi sa tiunay nga pag-ampo uban sa Mahal nga Birhen Maria."
City Agriculture and Fishery Office head Alex Baring said the registered participants were 50 pump boats which are three tons above, 20 pump boats which are three tons below, 20 speedboats, 12 jet skis, and a Ferrari automobile speedboat.
Additionally, Baring said that there were 10 other pump boats waiting at the Muelle Osmeña Wharf.
Baring said that the number of participants this year is higher than in the past two years. He noted that in 2022, the city limited the participants to 30, while last year they recorded 50 registered vessels.
He said this year is different from the past two years, as they were told by the city government that it would be “bigger and livelier.”
“Mao nang nag sige ta og promote sa atoang fluvial kutob sa interesado mo-join, they can join,” Baring explained. He also mentioned that there were no recorded incidents such as breakdowns or sinking vessels.
Meanwhile, unlike the fluvial parade, the number of devotees and visitors at the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine was only half of the number compared to last year.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office spokesman Police Lieutenant Colonel Christian Torres the said that the estimated crowd estimate in 2023 was at least 5,000. Torres explained that holding the event on a weekday might have been a factor in the reduced number of attendees.
“Weekdays man gud siya. Ting-trabaho, ting-klase wala kaayoy mga tao pero kung mutumong ang fiesta og mga activities og weekends daghan na siyang tao,” Torres said.
Torres added that their office considered the event from 5 A.M. to 11 A.M. a successful activity. He said that as early as 4 A.M., 150 PNP personnel were already deployed to various locations in the city, including the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge, Marcelo Fernan Bridge, Muelle Osmeña Wharf, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Marigondon, and the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine in Barangay Poblacion.
“Generally, nahuman na ang atoang fluvial procession peacefully. Wala tay mga untoward incident nga natala,” Torres added.
The fluvial procession of the image of Nuestra Señora de Regla began at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Barangay Marigondon, where a Mass was held at 5 A.M. After the Mass, the procession proceeded from Marigondon heading to the roro port located in Cordova town, where the fluvial parade started.
Waving their hands at the image of the Nuestra Señora de Regla, pupils from Marigondon Elementary School waited outside their school as the image passed by.
After an hour of procession toward the port, the image was welcomed and placed on a boat from Jomalia Shipping at 7 A.M.
The image, along with the faithful who participated in the seaborne procession, traveled for at least two hours from the coastal waters of Cordova town to Lapu-Lapu City via the Mactan Channel.
The fluvial parade concluded when the boat docked at Muelle Osmeña Wharf in Barangay Poblacion, followed by a foot procession from the port to the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine.
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, along with other city officials including Congresswoman Cynthia “Cindi” King Chan, welcomed the image, which was carried in their arms during the foot procession.
A Pontifical Mass followed after the image was brought to the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine, where at least 2,500 devotees were waiting for its arrival.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, along with Auxiliary Bishop Antonio Rañola and the priests of the Archdiocese of Cebu, presided over the Mass.
In his homily, Palma emphasized the festival’s theme, calling on the faithful to entrust themselves to God through sincere prayer with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He also highlighted that hope is a confident expectation of something good and as people lift them into prayers, blessings and abundance will shower upon on their life as they go along the journey of life.
“Kining atong misa padayon sa pag-ampo nga sa atong panaw ug sa atong pagtugyan sa Ginoo unta puhon, makapaabot kita sa maayong mga butang,” he said.
Among the devotees was Lita, 61, from Tuburan town, who attended the Mass at the Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine, marking the first day of the novena. The fiesta will be held on Thursday, November 21.
She said that she has been a devotee of Nuestra Señora de Regla for 30 years.
When asked about her devotion to the Virgin Mary, Lita said that she hopes to follow the kindness of the Virgin Mary and personify the faith she has in Jesus.
“Unta kanang makasunod ug mapaambit ko niya sa iyahang pagkamapaubsanon, mahigugmaon, labaw sa tanan pagsalig ngadto sa Iyang Bugtong Anak, atong Ginoong Hesukristo,” she said. — /BRP (FREEMAN)