One blessed morning I had the opportunity to travel to one historical church in Pangasinan which is famous for it’s name “Nuestra Senora de Manaoag -- Manaoag, Pangasinan. Our Lady of Manaoag (formally: Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag, literal translation: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag) is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, associated with a statue in Manaoag, Pangasinan said to be from the 16th century. She is the patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy.
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| The original image statue of Our Lady of Manaoag at the Old tree located at the entrance infront the church. |
Short Story at a Glance
The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag, located on top of a hill in the town, has been canonically affiliated with the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome since June 2011. The parish encompassing Manaoag and the surrounding towns is administered by the Order of Preachers under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. It was officially declared a Basilica on February 17, 2015.
Some of the miracles attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag are depicted in murals inside the church’s transepts and nave. The Paschal Chapel beside the south flank of the church has icons of the Black Nazarene similar to that of the Quiapo Church, the Santo Entierro (Dead Christ), and other statues of the Virgin Mary. The sanctuary on the left side of the main entrance has a large image of the Crucified Christ.
Things to do
Although we reached this place during ordinary day expects that swarms of people fill the place during Sundays and religious occasions such as the Virgin Mary’s birthday, Holy Week, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Inside the church, there is an archaic ambiance with the old bricks and ancient architecture. Pews are lined up from all sides and at the very center is the altar. In the highest portion of the altar is where the Lady of Manaoag majestically stands. There is a fountain around the big image of Lady of Manaoag wherein you can throw coins if you want to wish a prayer. A fountain also nearby for you to lit a candle and pray and let the candle float on the water.
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| A fountain wherein you can drop your candle and let it flow, make a wish and prayer. |
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| The entrance at the Rosary Garden |
Of course, when visiting the place, one should not forget about stopping by the stores situated inside and near the church. The canteen at the parking lot of the church sells the best turon in town. It is a delightful snack which is a banana wrapped in a crispy material and coated with sugar. Outside, there are stores that also sell souvenirs such as prayer books, colorful rosaries of different sizes, carved wooden religious figures, wooden crafts, and local native candies and cakes such as tupig and patupat.
How to Get there
Manaoag, Pangasinan, is around five hours away by bus from Trinoma, Quezon City. I went to church with my niece and relatives on a private car but there is Dagupan Bus that took you straight to the Manaoag Shrine. My cousin said that bus fare is Php 314 one-way. If you're coming from QC, the bus passes Trinoma hourly starting at around 5am until around late afternoon. There are 2 major stop overs, Dau bus terminal and SM Rosales
