Virgen de Barangay

VIRGEN DE BARANGAY, Feastday March 1

A barangay is the smallest local government unit in the Philippines and is very similar to a village or a town. Municipalities and cities are composed of barangays.
Each barangay is headed by a barangay captain (punong barangay) who leads the barangay council (sangguniang barangay) composed of barangay councilors (kagawad). Every barangay also has a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) (Youth council), composed of the SK President or Chairman and SK Councilors, who direct the youth-oriented activities, such as basketball leagues, in the barangay.

Historically, the term barangay refers to a community of around 50 to 100 families. The word itself comes from the Malay balangay which means “boat.” This connection between community and boat supports theories on the history of the pre-colonial Philippines, that being, each original coastal “barangay” formed as a result of a single or a group of settlers arriving by boat from other places in Southeast Asia.

In 1954, Antonio Gaston had a word with Bishop Manuel Yap about the idea of giving the patroness of the Barangay sang Birhen Organization a purely Filipino look. Bishop Yap approved the idea, but suggested that the image, however, should give an impression of Jewishness.

Getting such ikon painted proved to be a problem. Initial efforts of artists from the Salesian order, as well as by graduates from prestigious art schools are not completely satisfactory. Several months later, Father Pixner sent
Gaston a painting done by Crisogono Domingo, an inmate of Santa Barbara Leprosarium, not on a canvass but on a lawanit board. One look at the painting and Gaston knew the Barangay had a true picture of its patroness. The ikon of the Virgin of the Barangay likewise gained enthusiastic approval of Bishop Manuel Yap, and was canonically blessed and installed in the diocese by October 16, 1954.

June 12, 1975, the original painting of the image of the Barangay sang Birhen arrived in the Diocese of Tagbilaran for her visitation; she was brought by the Regional Datu of Davao, Lakan Olibo and his companions. Her visitation from Parish to Parish, to the remotest Barrios or Barangay, lasted for almost 6 years and 15 days. The Last Parish visited was Sikatuna. From Sikatuna, she was brought to Ilihan Hill Chapel in Jagna, Bohol starting February 3, 1979 up to January 12, 1981.

On January 14, 1981, the original painting was brought back to Bacolod City for the historical visit of the Holy Father where the image of the Virgin was personally blessed by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II on February 20, 1981, Bishop’s Palace, Bacolod City