Hotspot no. 3 Iglesia de Sta. Ana

One of the Philippine’s oldest landmarks that used to rule the rotunda of Old Panaderos and Calle Herran (now called Pedro Gil). This church was dedicated to St. Anne, Mary’s mother, the titular Patroness of the district. Sta. Ana Church enshrines the image of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, or the Lady of the Abandoned a.k.a. Inang Mapag-Ampon, the giver of refuge, asylum and surrogate care. The title “Desamparados” was conferred to the image because it was appointed as the Patroness of social outcasts such as the orphaned, the insane, the abused, the imprisoned and condemned, and the poor.

It was Fr. Ingles who transported the Desamparados devotion to the Philippines, dedicated his lifetime to the building of the church, the Franciscan congregation, and Marian advocacy. Miracles of the Desamparados were found in the healing waters of the fountain behind the church; the non-occurrence of Japanese atrocities in Sta. Ana during the war; the quick resolution of house fires in the district; and notably, the convergence of insane persons in church at any time of the day. According to church documents:

“There has never been a time when the church was without the presence of at least one person who is mentally ill. Every generation yields a man, woman, or young person thus afflicted who regulary visits the Blessed Mother. Sometimes, there are as many as three or four of them coming at the same time. For a while, each would prove distracting to worshippers. But every parishioner knows that the Blessed Mother wants them there”. (Diaz Rivera 1991, 15-16).

Another item of interest is found here. After the death of former Archbishop Pedro de la Santissima Trinidad Martinez y Arizola, his heart was removed, encased in metal, and interred under the main altar table in his request as a sign of his undying love for Mary.

Hotspot No. 4 Ermita Church

The Church enshrines the Patroness of the City of Manila, the Nuestra Señora de Guia or Our Lady of Guidance considered one of the oldest extant Marian images discovered inshore found in 1571 by a member of the landing party of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi on the shores of Manila bay. The image was found propped upon makeshift altar made of pandan palms worshipped by natives who regarded it as a “diwata” (a female deity), claiming that the statue belonged to their ancestors.

The image was officially given the name “guidance” because it served as a beacon to incoming ships in early times, particularly during stormy weather. Many ship captains claimed to have sighted a large beacon on shore that guided them smoothly into the harbour. Upon disembarking, the sailors found no sign of a lighthouse or structure other than the church itself. The brightness was attributed to a heavenly source since church candles could hardly have been expected to give off light of such intensity, much less on windy nights and from long distances.