Pasil locals still thankful to Sto. Niño despite fire
Despite the recent fire that engulfed 360 houses in Sitio Lawis, Barangay Pasil, the residents did not let the tragedy affect their celebration for the Feast of Señor Sto. Niño.
Hundreds of residents clad in colorful Sinulog costumes and shirts joined yesterday’s street dance and procession as part of the Fiesta Señor.
They were carrying images of Sr. Sto. Niño, dancing to the Sinulog beat, and shouting praises for the Holy Child.
Fr. Lamberto Paradiang, Jr., the Sto. Niño Parish priest, paid tribute to the resiliency of the Cebuanos, especially the Pasil fire victims.
He said the residents showed their strong devotion to Sr. Sto. Niño amid the tragedy.
“Of course, makaguol gyud pero padayon lang gihapon. Ila manang panaad nga bisag unsa’y mahitabo basta maayo rag lawas, bisan tingali mawala na ang tanan basta tagaan lang silang maayong panglawas, ila nang buhaton ang ilang panaad didto sa Señor Santo Niño,” Paradiang said.
He said the three Sto. Niño Chapels in the barangay did not suffer the harshness of the fire, however, the San Roque Chapel was among those that were burned.
“I think 98 percent of the residents here (Pasil) are Catholic. Lig-on kaayo, hugot gyud ilang devotion ngadto ni Sr. Sto. Niño. Sa kalisod ug kalipay, Sr. Sto. Niño maoy ilang sampiton. Unya karaan na gyud kay na nga tradisyon nga napasa sa ilang mga anak,” he said.
Celsa Santizes, 64, whose house was razed by the fire, became emotional as she shared her devotion to the Holy Child.
“Na-touch gyud ko kay kami faithful gyud ni Sr. Sto. Niño. Mao na nga bisan sa nahitabo namo karon nga katalagman, amo gyung gihapon na siyang gi-celebrar. Wa gyud mi moingon nga kumo kay nahitaboan mi, gibaliwa nalang siya namo, nagcelebrate gyud mi,” Santizes said with teary eyes.
Celebrating the annual feast has become a family tradition passed on by the older generation, she said.
Now, she is only asking for the Sto. Niño to grant her family good health.
She recalled that on the day of the fire, Janaury 14, she decided to stay home and not work at her ukay-ukay store so she could finish decorating the arch that she placed on the altar she prepared for the Holy Child.
Clutching only a statue of the Virgin Mary to her chest, she was able to dash out before the fire reached her house, burning the arch that she created.
Thankfully, she had left her image of the Holy Child at the safety of their chapel for the third day of the nine-day novena when the fire happened.
Another arch that was destroyed during the fire was one made of bamboo sticks and was formed into a chapel of Sto. Niño.
Charito Opeila, who built it in 2014 using funds donated by some of his neighbors, said he was sad that the arch was burned, but he would work to build it again.
“Amo to itukod balik kung naay kwarta. Kada tuig to namo pintalan, pasigaan, kay naa ang iyang imahe. Halad to namo sa Sr. Sto. Niño para naa mi maayong lawas ug way gubot diri. Karon padayon lang gihapon, bisag nasunogan, maglipay mi kay pista man, ihalad gihapon namo niya,” Opeila said.
Antoinette O. Marquito, USC Intern/KBQ