Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City and the MSPC Pastoral Conference

From October 20 to 23, Archbishop Garcera, the incoming CBCP President, invited me and two of my confreres from the CBCP Secretariat to accompany him to the 18th Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC) held in Iligan City. It was an extraordinary experience to witness firsthand the life of the Church in Mindanao—home of the country’s pioneering Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs)—as it now seeks to deepen synodality in its pastoral practice and way of being Church.

Each diocese sent ten delegates, composed of the bishop, a number of  priests and religious sisters, and lay leaders. During one of the breaks, we took the opportunity to visit the Maria Cristina Falls, a landmark long associated with Iligan City, which is also known as the "City of Majestic Waterfalls." Providentially, one of the delegates was a former plant manager of the Agus Hydroelectric Plants, a series of six plants running from Lake Lanao down to the Maria Cristina Falls, where the Agus VI and VII Hydroelectric Plants are located.

We learned that the Maria Cristina Falls had only reopened to visitors last August after having been closed since March 2022, with access limited to ten visitors per day, coordinated through the Iligan City Tourism Office.  On the day of our visit, one of the turbines was under repair, and because of our scheduled visit, the flow of water cascading down the falls was temporarily increased. Normally, since much of the water is diverted to the turbines, the volume of the falls is reduced.

Aside from viewing the falls from the designated vantage point, our host also took us inside the hydroelectric plant, where he explained how power is generated from the tremendous energy of the flowing waters—a fascinating encounter with both the beauty of creation and human ingenuity.

The gushing water in the foreground comes out from the turbines, which produce electricity, as the water is diverted from the falls themselves. 

The control room of the Agus VII Hydroelectric Plant

Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel
Iligan City, Lanao del Norte

Bp. Rapadas, the bishops of Iligan giving his talk about BEC during the MSPC Pastoral Conference

With Fr. Romil Baring, CSSR, the Chaplain assigned to the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City which is the main campus of MSU and Msgr. Ramonito Torres the Vicar General of Marawi. After visiting the Maria Cristina Falls we proceeded to visit the MSU. 

The residence and Chapel of the chaplaincy of the Mindanao State University in Marawi. 

Fr. Romil with the help of students of MSU prepared lunch for us at the Chaplaincy. 

Some of the destroyed buildings, remnants of the Marawi siege in 2017.

There were still some galvanized sheets on the roof the last time I visited the destroyed Cathedral of Marawi. 

A carved okir, which is a Maranao inspired art can still be seen on both sides near the altar.

Marawi City

During our ocular inspection to  Malaybalay and Cagayan de Oro where we visited the venues for the retreat and plenary assembly of the bishops this coming July 2024, we took the opportunity to visit Marawi and see for ourselves the situation there after the siege in May 2017 which destroyed a great part of the city  and the bombing of the gymnasium where mass was being held last December 3, 2023. Msgr. Ramonito Torres, the Chancellor and Vicar General of the prelature was the one who toured us around.  

From the Archbishop's house in Cagayan de Oro where we were billeted, we left early to travel first to the Cathedral of Iligan where we handed over the new bishops’ Directory to Bp. Rapadas. We then proceeded right away to Balo-i, Lanao del Norte.  It is here that the bishop of Marawi, the Most Rev. Edwin de la Peña is temporarily residing. His residence which was the property of the Diocese of Iligan was donated to the prelature of  Marawi. Besides the residence  is the Parish Church of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva, Maria Cristina, Balo-i, Lanao del Norte which serves as the temporary Cathedral.

Msgr. Torres who is a priest of the Diocece of Dumaguete is also residing at the temporary bishop’s residence. After a short breakfast, Msgr. Torres brought us to Marawi. We first proceeded to the Mindanao State University and passed by the Mohammad Ali B. Dimaporo Gymnasium where the bombing during the mass last December 3, 2023 occurred. In that bombing four of the mass goers perished.  We then visited the Catholic chaplaincy cottage within the MSU campus which was being renovated and enlarged to serve also as a chapel  for the Catholics in MSU since masses are no longer held at the gymnasium after the bombing. We then toured around the city where many of the buildings still lay dilapidated. However, the roads around the city have already been reconstructed complete with concrete water gutters on the sides. There were some new buildings, parks and plazas that have been constructed. Afterwards we went to the Cathedral which still lay in ruins. We ended our visit by going to a hilltop overlooking the city of Marawi. It was the building of the Tourism Office which was formerly called the Old City Hall but has become dilapidated and now being used as a camp by the Army. This was just near the former monastery of the Carmelite contemplative nuns which was abandoned when they were abducted by  Muslim rebels in 1986. 

One of the minarets with bullet holes has been transported to this  Rizal Park in Marawi City. 

The temporary residence of Bp. de la Peña in Maria Cristina, Balo-i, Lanao del Norte. 

The bishop's house as seen from the small parish church just beside it. 

Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church

Maria, Cristina, Balo-i, Lanao del Norte

The church altar

MARAWI CITY 

A newly renovated mosque besides a still ruined building. 

The former St. Mary Cathedral in Marawi. 

Sitting on the destroyed Cathedra. 

The site of the Cathedral has already been fenced but reconstruction has not started. 

Rizal Park

A new sports stadium and the Marawi Park as seen from the Rizal Park. 

The entrance to the Mindanao State University (MSU)

The Mohammad Ali B. Dimaporo Gymnasium which served as the venue for the Sunday masses in Marawi was bombed while mass was going on last December 3, 2023. Four died in the incident. 

The Catholic chaplaincy cottage in MSU being enlarged to serve also as a chapel. 

They just built a higher roof to incorporate the cottage. They plan to put a flat concrete roof over the cottage to serve as a second floor for the chapel. 

One of the dilapidated buildings in Marawi after the May 2017 siege. 

Many of the buildings are still in ruins. 

The Old City Hall which was formerly used as a Tourism office now serving as an Army barracks overlooking the city of Marawi. Just nearby was the former site of the Carmelite Monastery (below)