STI Naga joins the Peñafrancia Festival

Thanks God its September! This time of year, all roads lead to Naga City for the Annual Peñafrancia Festival, a religious celebration in honor of the Patroness of Bicolandia, our Ina (Mother), Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

Thousand of devotees from all over the country (and even from overseas) trooped to the Basilica Shrine to pay homage to our Ina. This year’s celebration is anchored on renewing our faith through our devotion to our Ina. Hourly masses are being celebrated each day at the Basilica Shrine and the Metropolitan Cathedral to accommodate the faithful in their devotion.

Among the highlights in this years’ celebration was the transfer of our Ina from the Basilica Shrine to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Called “Traslacion Procession”, this event officially signals the start of the weeklong celebration. Done every second Friday of September, the procession was participated by STI students as well as students from other Colleges and Universities in the Region. The procession passes through Magsaysay Avenue, Peñafrancia Avenue and then around Quense Martirez Plaza going straight to the Metropolitan Cathedral. A Pontifical Mass was also celebrated as soon as the Image of Our Ina reaches the Cathedral.

After eight days of stay at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Our Ina is again transferred back to the Basilica Shrine, this time through a “Fluvial Procession” held at the Naga River. The Fluvial Procession is highlighted by hundreds of “bangkeros” (boatmen) pulling the “pagoda” all by sheer physical strengths using their paddles. STI Naga has commissioned 3 boats with 14 bangkeros each to join the procession in our commitment and collective faith to Our Ina.

The annual Peñafrancia Celebration has indeed transcend the faith of the devotees. Men, women and children in the streets did not mind the scorching heat of the sun waiting for the procession to get by. They literally have to squeeze themselves in between the crowd just to get a glimpse of our Ina and wave their handkerchief as the Image of the Virgin Mother passes-on.

Among other events of the weeklong Peñafrancia Festival was the Civic and Voyadores Parade held September 18, 2008 and followed the following day by the Military Parade. These parades draw thousands of participants from all over the Region. High School and College students take center stage as they compete to be the best marching corps in Bicol. Both parades were about ten (10) hours long but the crowd in the streets never thins. All of them are rooting for their respective contingents to win the coveted prize.