PILGRIMAGE ISLAND

ALAMINOS CITY— Planning on a meaningful observance of the Holy Week?

Nature lovers and Roman Catholic faithful should consider exploring the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) in this beautiful city, particularly during the Holy Week because there is the Pilgrimage Island.

There is a towering 56-foot (17-meter) high image of the Christ The Savior at the Pilgrimage Island (formerly the Martha Island) that resembles the famous 98-foot tall Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

A worker does the finishing touches at the life-size Station of The Cross installed at the Pilgrimage island in the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City in time for the observance of the Holy Week. (Punchphoto by Cesar Ramirez)

From the Lucap Wharf, one would surely notice the new iconic landmark atop the Pilgrimage Island for which Alaminos City already spent more than P10 million.

The Christ The Savior statue was built two years ago at the highest peak of the HINP, overlooking the rest of the islands. It can be reached in 15 minutes by a motorized banca from the Lucap wharf.

The visitor needs to scale185 big steps to reach the top of the island where one can see in 360 degrees the breathtaking view of the entire Hundred Islands.

Alaminos City Bishop Ricardo Baccay with 10 other priests are expected to be in the island on March 28, 2018 to bless and inaugurate Pilgrimage Island as a pilgrimage site.

A new feature at the Pilgrimage Island are the life-sized Stations of the Cross made of cement and reinforced steel constructed at the island. Beside each station are two tablets, one is a description while the other is prayer.

To go through each station entails sacrifice and determination as one has to climb more than 200 steps of cemented stairs going up and down around the island to get from one station until the last. There are concrete railings or barriers where a climber can hold as he walks, with resting areas in between stations to catch one’s breath and pause for a chance to view the beauty of the surroundings.

Sariel Armando Ancheta, artist and sculptor of both the Christ The Savior and the Stations of the Cross images, and his team are rushing the finishing touches on the stations in time for its inauguration.

Ancheta, 36, a native of Pampanga and now residing in Anda town, said he has been working with Mayor Arthur Celeste for the past four years by creating cemented religious sculptures, starting with the Christ The Savior.

A former full-time artist doing painting, Ancheta switched to creating cemented sculptures after he met a missionary in a hospital at a time when all the members of his family were sick.

He did not know the missionary but the latter has seen his work. He gave Ancheta’s wife money. Ancheta in return gave a replica of La Pieta and the missionary started to ask for more work. too.

He has also created the image of Andres Bonifacio and a carabao image in front of the municipal hall of Anda town.

“Belief in God, something that comes from the heart, and when you are happy with what you are doing, the result will also be good,” Ancheta said. when asked about his inspiration in creating almost perfect sculptures at the Pilgrimage Island.

Each of the Station of the Cross here took him about three weeks to make.

The Christ The Savior image was finished almost two years. Its foundation alone, which is about 10 feet tall, was done in eight months.

But what made the development of the Pilgrimage Island more meaningful was the participation of various sectors in the town to develop it. Townsfolk, including drug reformists, provided community service by helping haul sand and gravel, cement from the Lucap wharf.

A big marker will be placed later at the Pilgrimage Island in recognition of the efforts of those who helped in its development.

Starting March 19, a point-to-point motorized banca service will ferry tourists from Lucap Wharf to the Pilgrimage Island.

In the pipeline is the construction of a chapel, a retreat house in a nearby island and as well as a candle gallery and a garden beside each station.

“When we were kids, during Holy Week, all was quiet and meditating. Times have changed and while many still do the Stations of the Cross by visiting different churches, they also take advantage of this Catholic Holy Week observance that provides off from work, to go somewhere with the family to relax,” Mayor Arthur Celeste said in an interview. (Eva Visperas)

Tourist arrivals in Alaminos City increasing

THE tourism industry in Alaminos City is experiencing unprecedented growth with the increasing number of local and foreign tourists arriving to visit the Hundred Islands National Park.

Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste said, the City Tourism Office is recording an average of 3,000 to 4,000 daily tourist arrivals.

Based on the report of the City Tourism Office, a total of 771,126 local and foreign tourists have since visited Hundred Islands from January to date.

Celeste said the growing number of arrivals have led to bigger tourism receipts, from entrance fees to boat rentals and food services.

The mayor said tourism revenues also benefitted livelihood of the residents, particularly those involved in longganisa production, local products from fish and souvenirs in Alaminos.

The City Government also launched various water sports activities like the paraw sailing contest, fishing derby and longganisa eating contest to boost the tourist arrival in Alaminos City. (Nora Dominguez)

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