The Encounter with the Image of the Virgin of Salambao (1763) There are two records in which the story of the discovery of the image of the Virgin of Obando in the waters of Manila Bay in the year 1763 can be found. First, the discovery of the image can be noted in the book of Franciscan Felix de Huerta in this way: “…La milagrosa imagen de la Concepcion de Ntra. Señora, bajo el titulo de la Virgen de Sarambao, cuyo titulo dieron a esta Señora por haber sido hallada por unos Pescadores en la Bahia de Manila, segun consta de un espediento autorizado por el escribano Diego Pascual en 1764. En el se refiere que que Martes, 19 de Junio de 1763, los hermanos Juan y Julian de la Cruz, de oficio Pescadores, tiraron su red en el sitio llamado Hilingdoon, y al recogeria descubrieron en ella, con admiracion, la citada imagen, que gustosos condujeron al pueblo y despues a esta Iglesia donde se venera.” “…The miraculous image of Concepcion, under the title Virgin of Salambao. They gave this title to this image of the Blessed Mother because it was found by some fishermen in Manila, according to the report of the authorized observer recorded by the writer Diego Pascual in 1764. There it was reported that on June 19, 1763, Tuesday, two brothers Juan and Julian de la Cruz, fishermen by profession, cast their nets into the waters of Sitio Hilingdoon. Gathering their net, they discovered to their astonishment the said image, which the zealous people had brought to the town and then to this church where it was venerated. This note now supports the second note that can be considered the main document, Diego Pascual's report in 1764 in Tagalog that would confirm that the locals saw an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in June of 1763. According to the testimony that this, the brothers saw around six o'clock in the morning of June 19 and the image. Julian de la Cruz (20 years old) and Juan de la Cruz (18 years old), both from Malabon, with their helper Diego de la Cruz (50 years old) of Obando, while they were fishing in water called Holingdoong, at the borders of the town of Tambobong (Malabon) and the Baryo ng Binuangan, which is part of Obando, Bulacan. As they lifted the net, they saw the image of Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion with a base (piaña) stuck to the outer part of the net. They brought the image to Diego's house in Obando. Two days later, Fray Jose Martinez de la Hinojosa, O.F.M. Parish Priest of Obando, took the image and placed it on the altar of the Church of San Pascual Baylon. Therefore, the arrival of this image in Obando is the arrival of devotion to the Virgin Mary in the town. Because it was recognized as "Nuestra Señora dela Concepcion" and according to Fray De Huerta's account the image had the formal name as "Milagrosa Ymahen de Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion de Sarambao". Later, the sarambaw or salambaw net will be added. From this discovery, the parish of Obando recognized three patrons: San Pascual Baylon, Santa Clara de Asis and Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Salambao. The image of the Virgin was awarded the episcopal coronation of the Most Reverend Kgg. Jose F. Oliveros, D.D. on December 12, 2004. His church was awarded the title of diocesan shrine on December 1, 2007. And because of the recognition of the Virgin of Salambao as "the most famous devotion to the Blessed Virgin in the Diocese of Malolos" according to in the language of the Most Rev. Cirilo R. Almario, Jr., D.D. recorded by Rdo. Msgr. Moises B. Andrade in his dissertation on the Virgin of Salambao, the popularity of the dance tradition of praying to the three patrons allowed the Obando church to be recognized as a national shrine. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines in its 121st Plenary Assembly on January 27, 2021 proclaimed the church as the 27th national shrine of the Philippines. Because of this, Obando became the fourth national shrine in the Diocese of Malolos and the 27th national shrine in the country. Due to the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, preparations for the solemn declaration have been delayed. However, towards the recognition day, the images of the three patrons were brought to selected district centers in the Diocese and received pilgrim visits from communities throughout the country. The national shrine held its solemn declaration on March 25, 2022 on the Feast of the Annunciation. As Manila Archbishop José Cardinal Advincula said in his homily: "And so the bishops of the Philippines collectively recognized the depth and strength of your faith in God, as well as the rich history of your intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin and to the saints.” The Celebration of the 260th Anniversary of the Encounter (2023) In commemoration of the 260th anniversary of this year, the national shrine intensified its introduction to the devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Salambao and her fellow patrons in different parishes inside and outside the Diocese of Malolos. On June 17th, the new vicarial image of the Virgin was installed and blessed in the national shrine and then on June 18th, the historic Festival of the Cross in the River was held where the Santa Cruz of Quebadia and the Virgin of Salambao, sign of the rich history of faith in the blessed town. *Selected excerpts from the article "Sayaw sa Obando: The Evolution of Bulacan's Religious Fertility Rites as Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage in the Philippines" by Bro. Ivan Panganiban, S.Th.L.-M.A. published in Boletín Eclesiastico de Filipinas (Vol. XCIX, nos. 969 and 970), January-April 2023: 157-198. Sources: Andrade, Fr. Moises B. "Dancing in Obando as an Expression of Marian Cult". S.Th.D. Diss., Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, 1974. Bañas, Raymond Brief Historical Sketches of the Philippines Catholic Churches. Manila: Commonwealth Press, 1954. De Huerta, Fray Felix, O.F.M. State of the Province of San Gregorio Magno. Binondo, Manila: Imprenta de N. Sanchez, 1865. National Commission on Culture and the Arts. Philippine Registry of Cultural Property. Inventory No. 174. ICH Domain 3. Panganiban, Kendrick Ivan B. “Bulacan shrine opens pilgrims museum”. CBCP News, December 21, 2020. Accessed: October 27, 2022. https://cbcpnews.net/.../bulacan-shrine-opens-pilgrims.../. ___________. "CBCP elevates Obando Church to national shrine status". January 27, 2021. Accessed: October 27, 2022. https://cbcpnews.net/.../cbcp-elevates-obando-church-to.../. ___________. "Obando is PH's newest national shrine". CBCP News, March 25, 2022. Accessed: October 27, 2022. https://cbcpnews.net/.../obando-church-is-phs-newest.../. Pascual, Diego. "Declaraz de Diego dela Cruz, Julian dela Cruz and Juan dela Cruz las que halla con dela Milagrosa Ymahen de Nstra. Señora de Salambao, Year 1764”. AFIO-39-3. Archivo Francisco Iberico-Oriental, Madrid, Spain. Photo Courtesy: National Shrine of Our Lady of Salambao Social Communications Ministry
