Rep. G deV bill wants Manaoag Church declared pilgrimage site
DAGUPAN CITY–Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia has filed a bill in Congress seeking to declare the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag as a pilgrimage site.
House Bill No. 4481 seeks “to mandate the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways and with respective local governments to develop a comprehensive development plan for the improvement of the Manaoag Shrine.”
In her explanatory note, De Venecia said the shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag is often referred to as the pilgrim center of the north and her feast day is among the widely celebrated Catholic event in the Philippines.
Thousands of pilgrims visit the Basilica every year with its number continuously growing as it also continues to attract visitors from many parts of the world, making it one of the most visited places in the Philippines.
Its signifciance to millions necessitates the need to adopt policies that would protect the historical significance of the area while ensuring accessibility and security to the pilgrims, De Venecia said.
Recently, Pope Benedict XVI approved the granting of the special bond of spiritual affinity in perpetuity affiliating the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome to the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag—the very first in the Philippines.
This gives the pilgrims the assurance of the same plenary indulgence equal to that receive when visiting a Papal Basilica in Rome.
Shortly after on July 22, 2011, the Shrine was elevated into a minor Basilica, as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag. —LVM
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