In Pangasinan, grand views of nature, faith on Holy Week
ALAMINOS CITY—Climbing the 263-step stairway leading to the 16.76-meter statue of Jesus Christ the Savior on Pilgrimage Island can be physically demanding, especially under the scorching sun.
But despite the sweat and fatigue, the ascent is rewarding as atop, one is treated to a spectacular 360-degree view of Hundred Islands National Park.
“It’s a beautiful experience to reach the top of Pilgrimage Island at my age. While I have visited the Hundred Islands several times before, this was my first time seeing the statue up close,” said Minerva Alcaide, 78, a resident of Dagupan City.
Pilgrimage Island is often the first stop for tourists visiting the national park, according to city tourism officer Miguel Sison.
Boats ferry visitors from jump-off points in Lucap Wharf, Bolo Beach and Bued Mangrove Forest as well as from the nearby towns of Anda and Sual.
Those who have the means may come by helicopter as a helipad is available on nearby Sandal Island. However one arrives, visitors must cross a pontoon bridge to reach Pilgrimage Island—an adventure in itself.
“Visitors may stay from 30 minutes to an hour on Pilgrimage Island and explore its religious landmarks, which are meant to strengthen faith and encourage reflection,” Sison said.
The island also features the Lady of Assumption statue and chapel, as well as Kapilya ni San Jose (Chapel of St. Joseph), both offering quiet spaces for prayer. There are also Stations of the Cross—intricately carved stone tableau depicting biblical scenes, from the Last Supper to the Ascension—spread across the island’s rolling terrain, making it an ideal destination for the Catholic faithful during the Lenten season.
Yet Pilgrimage Island also offers nonreligious attractions, including a bonsai garden with around 1,000 miniature trees and a museum featuring key moments in the city’s history. Tourists can hire guides.
Marian devotion
While Pilgrimage Island is a relatively new religious destination in Pangasinan, the centuries-old shrine in Manaoag town continues to draw thousands of Catholic devotees daily, more so during the Holy Week when the local Catholic tradition is on grand display.
On Holy Thursday, Marian devotees, wherever they come from, will hold the traditional walk to the Manaoag church around midafternoon. Some come from as far as western Pangasinan towns and reach the church by midnight or early dawn of Good Friday, stay at the churchyard, and go home as the sun rises.
Also part of the religious traditions is the offering of drinks and snacks by homeowners along the way, so pilgrims won’t get hungry or thirsty during the walk.
The devotees are seemingly answering the call of the Lady of Manaoag, as the premier Catholic pilgrimage site is known as the “Virgin Mary Who Calls” (from the Pangasinan word “mantaoag”).
Now known as the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, the church began as a Dominican mission in the 17th century. It is widely known for the 1610 apparition when the Virgin Mary was believed to have appeared on a tree holding a rosary before a local farmer and asking that a church be built in her honor.
