AdZU hosts Enrichment Forum on La Virgen del Pilar
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) and the Languages Department of the School of Arts and Sciences of this university recently hosted an enrichment forum dubbed “La Virgen Milagrosa: Poems, Prayers and Pilgrimage” at the Gallery of the Peninsula and the Archipelago on August 2, Friday.
Literature enthusiasts, creative writers, peace advocates and Pilar devotees were gathered for a day of lectures and testimonials on the immense effect of the Fort Pilar Shrine on the history and spirituality of the Zamboangueños. The event is the first of two moments in a project that seeks to gather literary pieces inspired by this unique local devotion.
Assistant to the President for Social Development and National Committee on Literary Arts member, Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ in his welcome remarks urged the participants to initiate a new season of fresh and creative writing on the said landmark –a historic, epic, poetic heartbeat of the multicultural and multi-religious Zamboanga City. He also revealed that the event was significant in light of the much-anticipated hosting of Zamboanga City of Taboan: The Philippine Writers’ Festival next year.
The morning session saw Ms. Ma. Christina A. Cañones, chair of the Social Sciences Department and one of AdZU’s renowned historians, discuss how the present Fort Pilar and its attached shrine came to being. She was followed by philosopher-anthropologist, Dr. Robert Panaguiton who talked about the material spirituality of the faith in La Virgen. Fr. Elmer Sumile, former parish priest of Vitali, recalled his assignment in the said parish that share the same patroness with the city and how he witnessed the immense faith of his parishioners from the more than 70 chapels under his jurisdiction. In a personal note, he also shared his cure from a debilitating illness –a miracle he attributes to the intercession of La Virgen.
Present in the audience were Fr. Edwin Castillo, SJ, Mr. Hezekiah Concepcion and the former president of Western Mindanao State University, Dr. Grace Rebollos who enriched the discussions with their insights on local traditions that were shaped by the presence of Fort Pilar.
Later in the afternoon, speakers recounted their personal La Virgen anecdotes. Ms. Ma. Pilar De Guzman of the AdZU Grade School spoke on the origin of her first name while AdZU High School faculty Mr. Carlito Robin talked about the start of his involvement with church ministry.
For her part, Ms. May Lilian Temple-Maravilles, chair of the Languages Department, said that her department’s participation in the said activity was part of its observance of the annual Buwan ng Wika. This participation also saw the involvement of the AB English Academic Organization.
Mr. Alshamir Bryan Aripuddin of the AdZU High School MAPEH Department closed the forum with a rendition of Himno del Pilar, highlighting the lines that mark a Zamboangueño adaptation of the Spanish original.
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