La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc

I had an eerie experience photographing the statue of La Virgen Milagrosa, the patroness of Ilocos Norte. After I took my first shot, the camera couldn't display the photo. I had a test shot earlier on and my memory card was newly formatted. So I stopped for a while to think of my yoga mantra. Then the whole shoot went on smoothly.
--more stories and photos after the jump

The exterior of the St. John the Baptist Church, taken last May 2, 2012 during the first Provincial Fiesta.

The interior of the church. (May 2, 2012)

Closer view of the altar. (May 2, 2012)

La Milagrosa is enshrined in Saint John the Baptist Church in the town of Badoc. This is where Juna Luna was baptized in 1857. However, the statue herself is more famous because of her origin and the miracles she brought to the town. She is said to have been brought here by the Japanese but specifically choose to be put in Badoc. She arrived by ship in the 1600's together with the statue of the Black Nazarene. When the ship  sank near the shore, locals from Sinait, Ilocos Sur tried to carry her and the people from Badoc attempted to carry the Black Nazarene. But the people couldn't lift the statues. Only until the groups swapped sides were they able to carry the statues. The Badoqueños found that they are able to carry La Milagrosa and the people from Sinait could carry the Black Nazarene.

Since then La Milagrosa has saved the town of Badoc from disease, famine and pirate attacks. Stories were passed down through generations about a pirate being blinded because of striking the face of La Virgen Milagrosa. You can see in the photo below the damaged forehead of the statue.

The angels on her feet.

The altar gate of the statue is open on Sundays so that churchgoers can touch it. During my shoot there last Nov. 8, 2012, we found at the plant pot around it a vial containing a root or herb of some kind and some liquid. This was secretly placed here by an "albularyo" or quack doctor. He or she will retrieve this after a few days in order for it to pick up some powers.

My photo-documentation was done at the request of Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos. Special thanks to the Parish Pastoral Council President Mr. Ricardo Pagtulingan and Father Vic Calma for allowing us to do this shoot. As well as to Badoc Tourism Officer Mr. Felibert Salvador for assisting us. And to mang Nanding for helping us "pose" Apo Milagrosa and for sharing stories about the albularyo and La Milagrosa being selective on who to photograph or carry her.

Mang Nanding "posing" La Milagrosa.

Mang Nanding stands 5 feet 4 inches. The statue could be around 5 feet 2 inches high, if including the pedestal.

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