Nuestra Señora De Guia

The image of Nuestra Señora de Guia, which translates to 'Our Lady of Guidance,' holds the distinction of being the oldest revered icon in Filipino Catholicism. On May 19, 1571 (Saturday), Miguel Lopez de Legaspi took possession of Manila in honor of the King of Spain, Felipe II. During this occasion, one of his soldiers explored the area and reached the seashore (the current site of the Ermita Church), where he witnessed the natives engaging in pagan worship of a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary, positioned atop a trunk and surrounded by pandan. From that moment, as noted in the Anales dela Cathedral de Manila, Virgen de Guia began to radiate charitable rays and performed numerous miracles in support of the people, particularly the navigators. It is in this context that she earned the title 'Guia' or guide.

It is believed that this revered statue was brought to the Philippines in 1521 by Magellan's ships and later presented as a gift to one of the rajahs in Manila by Cebu native chiefs through a Royal Decree dated August 9, 1578. The King of Spain declared Nuestra Señora de Guia as the 'Sworn Patroness' of Manila due to the continuous favors she bestowed. Furthermore, the Ermita Church, where the beloved statue is housed, is historically the foremost among Marian shrines in the Philippines.

Many devotees assert that Our Lady of Guidance has showered countless favors upon Filipinos, especially those navigating ships from Spain. Whenever a galleon was set to sail for New Spain, the navigators would conduct a novena of solemn masses attended by the Cabildo Eclesiastico along with various religious committees.

Additionally, when the galleons faced delays, the image of Our Lady was paraded in procession from her temple in Ermita, winding up to the Cathedral. This led to another solemn nine-day festival where ships from New Spain safely arrived, despite tumultuous seas, all attributed to the protection offered by the Virgen de Guia.

The origins of this image remain mysterious, as no historian has been able to trace its precise source. Some ponder whether it could have belonged to a vessel lost at sea, eventually cast to these islands by powerful waves.

The statue of De Guia stands about fifty centimeters tall, including its pedestal, and is adorned with a brown figure. The lining of its dress and tunic features dark red silk with white parallel stripes, and from the waistline to its tunic, it resembles a tapis typically worn by our Tagalog women.