Genre: Religion & Spirituality
Author: Edna L. Gueco
Pampanga was a hotbed of socialism and Huk insurgency in the 50s. So, to temper these 'godless ideologies', Bishop Cesar Ma. Guerrero of the new Diocese of San Fernando launched the Cruzada ning Pamanisi at Lugud (Crusade of Penance and Charity) .
“Aqui en Pampanga hay mucha piedad, pero poca caridad! (Here in Pampanga, there is much piety but little charity!)” the Bishop noted.The symbol of the crusade revolved around a small image of a Virgin from Baliti; she was borrowed and titled Virgen de los Remedios. Thus, the tradition of religious processions and acts of charity (lamac) began. Virgen de los Remedios made the rounds of Pampanga towns for a full year, and the towns took turns hosting the image. The devotion touched lives, healed wounds, converted people and helped stem the tide of Communism.
In the next year of the Cruzada however, the people of Baliti, due to some misinformation, refused to loan out their Virgin, to the disappointment of the Bishop. Emotions ran high in Baliti, with threats that "blood will flow" if the Virgin is taken forcibly from them. Bishop Guerrero thus had a second image made, a taller version of the original Baliti Virgin--and this was the image that was canonically crowned in 1956. Eventually, two more replicas were made of the image, for use in the northern and southern Pampanga towns. The 'Coronada' Virgin now remains in the Chancery, while the Baliti Virgin has its own shrine. At one point, Baliti had to suffer the stigma of being a town of selfish and possessive people, and as a result, the crowned duplicate at the Chancery is looked at and recognized as the real Patroness of Pampanga.
This book traces the beginnings (and all the drama) of the Virgen de los Remedios devotion that began in the early 1950s, and continues with unabated fervor to this day. The author, a native of Baliti, also seeks to explain that fateful moment when the town decided to withhold their image from participating in the crusade, for reasons never really brought to light. In so doing, Baliti missed having their Virgin crowned by Vatican--and lost its chance of being part of history. Through the years, there were attempts to soothe the ill feelings between the Church and the people of Baliti, but Time seems to be the best healer of wounds.
The book is replete with legends and lore about the original Virgen de los Remedios of Baliti (as it is referred to, to differentiate it from the Virgen de los Remedios of Pampanga). There are also personal anecdotes, testimonials from recipients of various miracles plus contributed articles in Kapampangan with English translations. The major drawback is the poor quality of black and white pictures--all appear washed out and pixelized. It's a pity because it would have been interesting to see the difference between the original and the replica of the Virgin. At Php1,000, it is also pricey, but local history books are so rare these days, they get snapped up real fast by major book dealers.
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