Taal’s little angels

MANILA, Philippines - We’ve all been to Taal before, and the four of us were not expecting anything out of the ordinary. But what awaited us there were moments of grace that, jaded travelers though we are, touched our hearts and gave us an experience we won’t forget in a long while.

At the  mere mention of the miraculous Lady of Caysasay, we – all being pilgrims at heart – unanimously decided to revisit Taal with the sole destination being the church where our Lady is enthroned. After a hearty breakfast, we drove straight to the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay in Labac, Taal, less than two hours from Manila and some 45 minutes from Tagaytay. We climbed the steps behind the main altar of the church, touched the veil of Our Lady and prayed. Rather small in size – the image is only six inches – and dark-skinned, it is believed to be the first Immaculate Conception to have been discovered in the Philippines. It was actually fished out of the Pansipit River by a Chinese fisherman in 1603. The apparitions of Our Lady of Caysasay in 1611 are the first recorded apparitions in our country, and in the whole of Asia. Until today, she is known to be miraculous.

Although it was a Sunday,  there were no crowds in between masses. As we made our way back to our vehicle, we were greeted by a swarm of vendors selling sweets, religious items, colorful fans, umbrellas, and candles in different sizes and shapes. We graciously said no and made ready to go back to our Tagaytay before we head back to Manila.

However, a band of four elementary school kids stayed on and started to talk about a nearby site where pilgrims and locals usually pray. We were intrigued by the children’s enthusiastic narration of the legend of the Chinaman and the Virgin’s rebulto. We succumbed to their spell and followed them on the footpath that led down the road to what remains of an old beautifully carved stone arch constructed over the spring a few minutes’ walk from  the church. Called Ang Balon ng Sta. Lucia or the Well of Santa Lucia, this is considered a sacred site and the spring running close to the wells is known as sacred water. This spot is believed to be where the image of the Virgin Mary was found.

At the shrine, with the children showing the way, we dipped our hands into the well, sprinkled water on our heads, and made the signs of the cross. We had no candles, so the kids produced them from their well-worn cloth bags. We bought all they had, lighted them and stormed heaven with prayers. The four smiled so heartwarmingly – we were hooked from then on.

They assisted us as we went up the San Lorenzo Ruiz Steps, all the while talking non-stop, sometimes in unison, about their Taal. They had such genuine pride of place we were completely enraptured we didn’t notice we had climbed all 125 steps!

As we were catching our breath, we noticed to our left Casa Villavicencio, one of two ancestral houses dedicated to Eulalio Villavicencio and Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio. This 1850 bahay na bato has been restored to become habitable as a private dwelling, much like the adjoining Villavicencio wedding gift house which Eulalio built as a present to his bride.

They took us to the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours, considered the biggest church in Asia. Our little guides shared with us what seemed to be a top secret – we can climb 96 steps up the belfry to get a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Inside the basilica, they pointed to an image on the left, facing the altar, and in hushed voices told how St. Martin on horseback gladly shared his cloak with a beggar by the roadside, only to discover that he was Christ. Saint Martin de Tours is the patron saint of Taal.

The Basilica’s size and Baroque façade is majestic and its interior is even more captivating with the dome ceilings hand-painted with intricate detail. Perhaps its most outstanding element is the illuminating altar wall made with sterling silver and gold.

At this point, after buying some delicacies, we were ready to say goodbye to our new-found friends. But they insisted that there was more to see. We didn’t want to disappoint them by saying that we’d seen it all before. So they hopped into our vehicle and asked permission to give instructions to our driver Mark.

Our next stop was the Marcela Agoncillo house. One of Taal’s oldest, it was built in the late 17th century. Marcela lived here with her husband Felipe. Displayed in the residence, now a museum, are the flags used during the revolution against Spain, including the first Philippine flag that was raised in Kawit, Cavite during President Emilio Aguinaldo’s declaration of Philippine Independence. While they were in exile in Hong Kong, Marcela, her eldest daughter Lorenza, and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad, Jose Rizal’s niece by his sister Lucia, manually sewed the flag in accordance with Aguinaldo’s design.

Then we visited Casa Gahol, the ancestral house of internationally renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina’s mother Paulina Gahol. A true son of Taal, Orlina is a staunch supporter of efforts to preserve the heritage sites in his hometown. Galeria Orlina occupies the ground floor of Casa Gahol.  At the lower balcony at the back, overlooking the Pansipit River, Orlina has opened Francisco’s, a coffee shop named after his maternal grandfather and great great grandfather who built Villa Tortuga. Here guests can enjoy coffee brewed from freshly roasted beans while relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze.

Villa Tortuga beside Casa Gahol is where Paulina and her six siblings were born. The family lived in this house until a feud ensued and they lost it. The place has since been leased by Lito Perez, who turned the villa into a bed and breakfast where Taal food is served for lunch.  Guests in period costumes may have their photos taken in their studio.

Our young friends not only took us on a tour, they also regaled us with stories of the fluvial parades and fiestas in their beloved town, among them  El Pasubat, the trade and cultural festival held on the last weekend of April, the feast of St. Martin de Tours on Nov. 11, and the fluvial parade honoring Our Lady of Caysasay  on Dec. 8.  All these accounts came complete with a litany of celebrities, politicians and artistas in attendance.

No trip would be complete without shopping. The children, much like seasoned tour guides but minus the hard sell, rattled off a complete shopping list.

Taal Market is the place to go for the famous hand-embroidered barong Tagalog in piña and jusi, local fabrics for ternos and kimonas, as well as tablecloths and other household linen; tapang Taal, longganisa Batangas, kapeng barako and maliputo may also be bought at the market along with other foodstuffs such as kalamay, panocha, suman, achara, adobo sa dilaw and sinaing na tulingan.

Even the Batangas balisong can be purchased in stores lined up along the road.

After we made the rounds, it was time for a late lunch. We invited the four children to join us but they declined, saying they were expected home for the noon meal with their respective families.

We gave a token amount to spend for school supplies and they promised they would use our gift for this purpose. We had no doubt they would.

All four of us have traveled the world, gone on pilgrimages to many shrines and met all kinds of people on the road but to this day, that morning in Taal holds a special place in our hearts.

By the grace of Our Lady of Caysasay, we found our guardian angels: Armin Cadiz, Janine Ilagan, Jomel Pasion, and Arman Cadiz.