A TRIP TO CANIGAO ISLAND WITH THE GK-CFC COUPLES OF LEYTE

Last May 17, the Gawad Kalinga team of Leyte invited me to join them on an overnight excursion to Canigao Island in Matalom, Leyte. I didn’t hesitate to accept, as I was free that day and it had been quite some time since my last visit to the island.

Since it was the weekend right after the elections, the port in Matalom—where one takes a boat to Canigao—was packed with vacationers waiting for their turn to cross. During my previous visit, the jump-off point was a barangay directly across from the island, and only a handful of tourists were around.

Now, the port has been moved to the town proper of Matalom, and the process has been systematized. All visitors must first register at the Tourism Office, where they are assigned a boat that will bring them to the island—and the same boat will also be scheduled to bring them back.

We pitched our tents at the back of the island, right where we were offloaded. I was given a tent of my own. Since the following day was a Sunday, the team asked if I could bring a Mass kit so we could celebrate Mass on the island. As all  of them were members of Couples for Christ, they also requested if they could renew their marriage vows during the Mass—which, of course, was no problem. I was pleasantly surprised when they all showed up for Mass dressed in white at a makeshift altar by the beach. 

 

There were so many vacationers trying to catch the boat to Canigao. It took us two hours of waiting before we were able to board the boat that was assigned to us for the twenty-minute ride to the island.

There were not that many people in the back side of the island. 

A variety of shellfish were being sold on the island. The one shown above is locally known as Sunlutan. Since they had already been removed from their shells, I had no idea what they looked like when still alive.

Bug-atan

Tikud-tikud

Litub

With the GK team couples

All dressed in white for their renewal of marriage vows. 

The Episcopal Ordination and Installation of Bp. Herman Abcede, RCJ in Daet

          Last May 1, I had the privilege of attending the episcopal ordination and installation of the new bishop of Daet, Most Rev. Herman Abcede, RCJ. The principal consecrator was Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, the former bishop of Daet and now the archbishop of Caceres. Coincidentally, Fr. Anthony Timoner, who had been serving as the diocesan administrator of Daet, was also recently appointed bishop of Pagadian.

Following the ordination rites, I took the opportunity to visit the last two towns in Camarines Norte that I had not yet seen during my previous tour of the province in 2018.

The first stop was San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first and only municipality in the Philippines named after the first Filipino saint. Originally established as the municipality of Imelda in 1970, it was officially renamed San Lorenzo Ruiz on February 10, 1989, two years after the canonization of the saint in 1987. Located just about 15 kilometers west of Daet, the town holds a special distinction in both civil and ecclesiastical history.

We then proceeded to the town of San Vicente, located north of and almost parallel to San Lorenzo Ruiz. However, since there is no direct road connecting the two towns, we had to return to Daet and take a different route to reach it.

At the episcopal ordination, I had the chance to reconnect with Fr. Mark Sagrado, a Piarist priest whom I had known since his ordination. One of his fellow ordinands was from Ormoc City, where I was then serving as parish priest. I vividly remember Fr. Mark attending the thanksgiving Mass of his contemporary in Ormoc. Upon learning that he was now assigned to San Vicente, I made sure to inform him that we would be visiting his parish later that afternoon. 

Bishop-elect Herman Abcede, RCJ making his Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity in the presence of Abp. Rex Andrew Alarcon, the previous bishop of Daet and now Archbishop of Caceres with Bishop-elect Anthony Timoner, the diocesan administrator of Daet looking on. 

The laying on of hands by Abp. Alarcon. 

San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila Parish
San Lorenzo Ruiz, Camarines Norte

St. Vincent Ferrer Parish
San Vicente, Camarines Norte

With Fr. Mark Sagrado.

The miraculous statue of St. Vincent Ferrer, visited by pilgrims from near and far, is encased in glass on the left side of the altar.

I would say that the artwork of the altar is unique that I have not seen anywhere. 

THE CHURCHES OF CALAUAG AND LOPEZ, QUEZON IN THE DIOCESE OF GUMACA

              On our way back to Manila after attending the episcopal ordination and installation of Bishop Herman Abcede in Daet, we made a brief stop to visit the churches in the towns of Calauag and Lopez. I had visited these churches a few years ago, but unfortunately, I lost the photos I took during that earlier trip.

St. Peter the Apostle Parish (F-1846)
Calauag, Quezon

Unique in this church is the painted mural on the altar and at the baptistry. 

We passed by this parish church in Apad, Calauag and just took a picture from the car. 

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish (F-1861)
Lopez, Quezon

An etched glass panel door. 

The Solemn Declaration of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Majayjay, Laguna as Minor Basilica

             Got to revisit the church of St. Gregory the Great in Majayjay, Laguna when it was solemnly declared as a Minor Basilica last May 3, 2025.  The Papal Nuncio, Charles John Brown was the celebrant together with seven other bishops, hundreds of priests, religious and the faithful of the parish of Majayjay.    One bishop was saying that the church is indeed big, but the roads are narrow. It is typical of an old town. 

            When I entered the church, I noticed that the retablo had a lighter color from the last time I visited it. The parish priest and the first Rector, Msgr. Melchor Barcenas informed me that the retablo is new. The former retablo was heavily destroyed by termites that they had to redo it.  For the most part they kept the design of the old retablo that is why I thought that they just had the old retablo repainted for a lighter color. 

The main retablo

The left-side retablo facing the congregation. 

The right-side retablo facing the congregation.

View of the altar from the choirloft

For the previous post on the church of Majayjay click here.