Faithful flock to Maasin’s pilgrimage site this Lenten season

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, March 24 (PNA) -- A nurse working in Chicago, USA, makes Hanginan village, a Catholic pilgrimage site, a part of her itinerary every time she goes home to her hometown here.

“Hanginan is always a part of my life as a sacrifice on any issues in my life then I go back to Hanginan to thank the Almighty God. When I was in high school, almost every Friday, my classmates and I trek to the hill to offer our wishes,” said Mitchie Garvez Brown.

“Now that I am far away, I really miss it. That’s why it is always part of my itinerary every time I go home. My faith is strengthened when I visit this place.”

Brown is just one of the thousands of pilgrims who visit Hanginan not only during Lenten season but even on regular days.

Hanginan is a mountain village in Maasin. It is located on top of the hill, which is 400 meters above sea level. It is where the St. Francis Javier Shrine is situated.

One can reach Hanginan from the city proper through Isagani village, the entrance from the national highway with PHP10 motorcycle fare. The shrine can be reached by foot.

The three-kilometer trail is steep and rough, but it’s a shorter route and the middle part has 300 concrete steps going to the shrine.

The terrain maybe difficult, but the green lush surroundings and magnificent view overlooking the city makes up for it and a sanctifying journey. The shrine, otherwise known as Dagkutanan -- where one lights candles to offer and make a wish -- is one of the pilgrimage sites in the city, is a famous stopover for pilgrims during Holy Week especially on Good Friday.

Close to half a million pilgrims trek to this hill to thank Señor Francisco for all the favors granted them. It is said that every petition is granted when you visit the shrine.

The local government unit deployed additional police enforcers in the area to secure the tourists and pilgrims on Holy Week. Even Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco and his wife Chona, trek to Hanginan every Holy Week.

Edwin Dumalagan of nearby Basak village is a Philippine Army officer who rose from the ranks, has been assigned in Mindanao and Bicol regions. “I feel safe in our every combat operation,” Dumalagan said.

The army officer always go to the shrine every Good Friday as long as he can remember, and I don’t fail to visit when I am in Maasin, even if it’s raining.

“That’s how devoted I am,” he said. “I graduated in Saint Joseph College Night Class in the city and was a working college student. I worked at the Pope Paul VI Seminary as a driver after college, before I applied with the Philippine Army. I attributed my success to God and my devotion to the saint.”

"Hanginan holds a special place in my heart as a native of Maasin. I became what I am today because of Hanginan. I know that my prayers at the miraculous St. Xavier chapel helped me in passing the board exam way back in 1998," said Ron Reyes, a local resident.

One can also go to the chapel via Soro-soro village riding a private vehicle through an uphill access road until the junction or ride a single motorcycle for PHP100.

Isagani village is seven kilometers from the city proper. Not only will you have the magnificent view of the city, with lush green surroundings and the view of the islands of Bohol and Camiguin, the village offers the best bibingka and kab-kab with matching kapeng binukbok (locally grounded coffee).

Bibingka is a tasty rice cake cooked in stove top. Kab-kab is made of cassava flour mixed with coconut milk flattened and fried to perfection topped with sweetened coconut syrup.

Before, the pilgrims used to come to San Francisco Shrine on Fridays, but in the recent years, people come anytime but most amazing is on Good Friday where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims start trekking at 1 a.m. to one of the highest points in Maasin City to be blessed and experience the miracle of St. Francis Xavier. (PNA)
JBP/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ