Pontifical Coronation of the Virgen sang Barangay in Bacolod City

              Last October 16, 2025, I was privileged to witness the Pontifical Coronation of the sacred icon of the Virgen Sang Barangay at the Cathedral of San Sebastian in Bacolod City. The solemn celebration was led by Apostolic Nuncio Charles John Brown, joined by several bishops from across the country and a great multitude of faithful who came to honor the Virgin, long venerated as the spiritual mother of countless Filipino families.

The devotion to the Virgen Sang Barangay began with Antonio Gaston, a deeply devout Catholic and former mayor of Bacolod. During a serious illness, he turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary for healing, promising to dedicate his life to spreading her message of faith and renewal. Upon his recovery, he and Henry del Castillo founded the Barangay Sang Birhen movement in Cadiz, Negros Occidental, in 1949. The organization grew rapidly, promoting the integrity of the family and the moral and spiritual renewal of Filipino communities, reaching over two million member families by 1959.

In 1954, Gaston, with the guidance of Bishop Manuel Yap, sought an image that would embody the Blessed Mother’s beauty and Filipino identity. After several failed attempts, the final painting was created in 1955 by Crisogono Domingo, an inmate of the Santa Barbara Leprosarium, who prayed earnestly for divine inspiration before beginning his work. The resulting image deeply moved all who saw it, and on October 16, 1954, Msgr. Emmanuel Yap gave it his canonical blessing, proclaiming it “a work of art and inspiration.” This date became the Feast of the Virgen Sang Barangay.

The original image, restored in 2024, is now enshrined at the San Sebastian Cathedral, where the faithful continue to gather in prayer. After its Episcopal Coronation on March 25, 2025, the icon was granted the singular honor of Pontifical Coronation on October 16, 2025, marking a new chapter in the enduring story of a devotion that has shaped the faith of generations of Filipinos.

 

The Apostolic Nuncio with Bp. Pat Buzon of Bacolod and two women in native dresses.

The Virgen sang Barangay image is the motif of the chasuble of the Apostolic Nuncio.

The facade of the Bacolod Cathedral

Upon entering the Cathedral, I noticed that it has undergone some embellishments since the last time I visited it in 2021. 

The Apostolic Nuncio crowning the icon. 

The side altar with the image of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

The newly renovated altar of the Bacolod Cathedral

The flooring of the whole church has also been changed with Machuca tiles. 

The other side altar with the Blessed Mother and the child Jesus. 

The altar table has now a baldacchino over it. Before, there was a half canopy under the tabernacle. Now the canopy was moved forward to cover the altar table.