Santo Niño de Ibajay - The Miraculous Child of Ibajay, Aklan

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Santo Niño de Ibajay
In the Western Visayas region, the devotion to the Santo Niño became well  known in the region for time  was in this island region that the third oldest image of the Santo Niño in the country is enshrined - the Santo Niño de Arevalo of Iloilo then  the famed Dinagyang Festival in honor of the Santo Niño. The Province of Aklan is also known for its own Santo Niño festivity - the Ati-atihan festival and two of it's miraculous Santo Niño images, the Santo Niño de Kalibo and  Santo Niño de Ibajay. The image and it's surrounding devotion in Ibajay became part of the fabric of life to the people of Ibajay for the Santo Niño gained much love and devotion to the people that it was impossible to be separated from this miraculous child.

Santo Niño de Ibajay
The image

The image of Santo Niño de Ibajay depicts the Santo Niño inits traditional princely regalia like those of his contemporaries in Cebu, Aklan, Iloilo, Tondo among others. The Santo Niño has a this rounded face, a quaint smile, expressive eyes, sports a short curly wig, his left hand in a gesture of blessing while his right hand holding a globus cruciger and sports a crown.

The origins

The origins of Santo Niño de Ibajay began  sometime in the 15th to 16th century when a fisherman, living in Sitio Cabotos near Barangay Minaa, went fishing in Ibajay River. 'Hangoe' caught nothing except for the piece of wood, which kept on getting into his net. He headed home and placed the piece of wood under the stove before he slept. The next day, his wife asked him about his catch. The fisherman replied that he caught a piece of wood.

Santo Niño de Ibajay
Hangoe's wife was surprised to find the image of a child in the wood. She went out of their house and let their neighbors see the piece of wood with the face image. Some folks from neighboring barangays and the parish priest also heard the news. The priest asked the residents of Sitio Cabotos to bring the piece of wood to Boboc-an Church. Legend said that while they are about to bring it, the piece of wood became too heavy, that they have to ask the strongest man in the barangay to carry it. The parish priest upon seeing the face image of the child exclaimed 'This is God Himself in the image of the Holy Child! For this child’s face looks exactly like the Sto. Nino!” The priest then had the wood carved, with the couple’s permission, blessed and venerated it in the church.

Miracles

One day, the priest woke up and found that the Sto. Nino was missing from the altar. After the desperate search for the wooden Sto. Nino, the faithful were annoyed of the incident. On that same day in Sitio Cabotos, the Sto. Nino - his feet soiled and his clothes were full of amorsiko, was inside the house of Hangoe. Afraid that the parishioners might cut off their hands for stealing, the couple returned the wooden statue to the parish priest of Sitio Boboc-an in the afternoon.

By tradition, the devotees painted their faces with black soot, imitated the playful likeness of the Ati to keep the Sto. Nino from leaving the church, coupled with the festive merrymaking with the beating of drums and shouting ‘Viva cay Senor Sto, Nino Viva!’

Several accounts would attest that the Sto. Nino miraculously protected the Ibajay town from the bandits and Moro pirates from invasion. The Holy Child, it was told, prevented the invaders from docking their ships along the shoreline of Ibajay.

The "Pagsueang"
The Dance Rituals

The Sto. Niño and the “Sayaw” (a Moro-Moro dance ritual depicting the war between the Christians and the Moros “muslim” in ibajay) The public performance of the “Sayaw “of the Calizo Clan during the feast of the Sto. Nino in Ibajay is a feature of the celebration never done in any other town in Aklan where the feast is also observed, like Kalibo, Makato, Numancia and Altavas.

The festive "Pagsueang" or the enthronement rites the image of the Sto. Nino from the parish rectory to the parish church main altar, done during the vespera of the fiesta, beginning at eleven-thirty in the morning. This ceremony is the ultimate in merry making, with the most boisterouis drum beating, unabated dancing, ati-ati style, primitive shouts of "Viva Senor St. Nino" verberating all over. Devotees would be burst out their emotions whenever the rites took place.

Santo Niño de Ibajay
During the transfer, the Sayaw plays a very important part. They show their insturments of combat with their estokados and mock battles between the Christianos and the Moros (Muslims). But whether it is a miracle or just a coincidence, there were many a time during the past that during the period of transfer, rains threatening to fall in Ibajay geographical territory disappear and the skies became sunny. The elder generations of Ibajaynons bear witness to this phenomenon in disbelief and wonder.

The devotion

The devotion to the Santo Niño de Ibajay is proven to be strong and important to the people of Ibajay. The January festivities of the Santo Niño is one of the much awaited event in the town and devotees from the town and other parts of the country flock his church to seek his help, witness and join the colorful festivities in his honor. From the day he made himself known in Ibajay, the town became his faithful devotees and became part of the everyday lives and culture of the town. If we are going to look at it in the eyes of the faith, we are seeing again the essence of Christ's life on Earth - to live among us to save us from our sins and enjoy Eternal Life with God, Our Father.

Reference:

Santo Niño de Ibajay, Retrieved from Abanteibajay.weebly.com on November 23, 2018.

Special thanks to the administrators of Solid Devotees of Santo Niño de Ibajay for the information and photographs of the miraculous Santo Niño de Ibajay.
+AM+DG+

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