Devotees troop to Sogod to see Virgin Mary's image on a stone

Devotees of the Mother of Perpetual Help were reported to have trooped to sitio Sandayong, barangay Liki in Sogod town since last week when news that a couple had witnessed an apparition there spread like wildfire.

But when The FREEMAN checked the said area, it was learned that there was no apparition at all, but that what couple Jesus and Imelda Brigoli saw was the image of the Mother of Perpetual Help carved on the face of a rock beside the national highway.

It was noticed that devotees, mostly from the neighboring towns of Catmon, Borbon, Bogo, Tabuelan and Tuburan lighted candles in the area and offered flowers and prayers. Some of them even took pictures using the built-in cameras of their mobile phones.

The Brigolis narrated to The FREEMAN that they saw several times the "miraculous image", but only told their neighbors about this recently. The couple sells vegetables in barangay Damolog, Sogod town for more than 20 years now.

Jesus claimed he first noticed the image of the Mother of Perpetual Help on the face of the rock late last year when he passed by the said area to deliver vegetables.

"Mipahulay ko niadtong higayona og mao gyud ang nakita nako ang imahen sa Inahan sa Kanunay'ng Panabang (I was taking a rest at that time when I saw the image of the Mother of Perpetual Help)," Jesus said.

"Wala gyud motuo akong asawa kay wala man gyud siya'y nakita hangtud nga sa miaging semana siya na gyud gipakita (My wife didn't believe in what I had told her until last week when she was able to see it for herself)," Jesus added.

"Dili gyud unta ko mosulti pero mura man ug hasulon ko maong miangkon nalang gyud ko nga nakakita sad ko (I would never have told anybody about what I saw but it keeps on bothering me so that I had to admit I indeed saw the image," Imelda told The FREEMAN.

When residents were asked by The FREEMAN if they too were able to see the so-called miraculous icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help, some of them claimed they saw her on the face of a stone. But others said they only noticed the form of a cross on the said stone. - Jose P. Sollano