Procession kicks off Kaplag Festival in Cebu City

A procession kicked off the Kaplag, or the finding of the image of the Santo Niño (Christ Child), in Cebu province on Saturday.

 

Devotees escorted the image of the Santo Niño from the Basilica de Santo Niño to the Redemptorist Church Saturday morning, GMA Cebu reported.

 

The Traslacion started at 7 a.m. and passed Jakosalem, General Maxilom and Manolo Streets, and ended at the Redemptorist Church where a Mass was held.

 

More activities have been lined up for this year's Kaplag, including a penitential walk at 4 a.m. back to the basilica on Sunday.

 

After the penitential walk, masses and novenas will be held for Kaplag, which will last until April 28.

 

The Basilica de Santo Niño website said the Santo Niño icon of Cebu is recognized as the oldest religious relic in the Philippines, its origin dating to the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

 

While the Santo Niño image was given to Rajah Humabon's wife Queen Juana, the Christian faith did not immediately flourish in the Philippines due to Magellan's death in battle.

 

Some 44 years later - on April 28, 1565, the Legazpi-Urdaneta Expedition arrived in Cebu and discovered (pagkakaplag) the same wooden image in a partially scorched hut. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News