San Miguel Arcangel de Iligan - The Powerful Patron of Iligan City

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San Miguel de Iligan
Iligan City is a highly urbanized city in Mindanao and one of the most progressive and biggest in the country. Here, one can witness a rich diversity and co-existence of Christians and Muslims in the city. In this modern and progressive city, the Iliganons attribute their prosperity to their beloved patron, San Miguel Arcangel. The miraculous image of San Miguel de Iligan is the focal point of devotion in the city and one of the most important for he became part of the history of this city as he became their protector and refuge.

San Miguel de Iligan (original image)
The image

There were two statues of San Miguel Arcangel venerated in Iligan City. The first is the older old brown skinned statue who sports the traditional warrior vestments of different colors, holds a shield, stepping wears a helmet with colorful feathers patterned to the Aztec iconography of San Miguel that can also be seen in other images of San Miguel in Bacoor, Cavite among others. The original image, often known as the "guerrero" image, has curly hair, big eyes and he faces the beholder, holds a banner tied to a spear/pole that thrusts Satan on his feet. The second image is the "mayumo" image where he is a fair skinned version of the patron and wears the typical Roman centurion regalia that he is commonly depicted. The second image looks down, holds the spear also thrusting Satan on his feet.

The origins

San Miguel de Iligan (the "Guerrero" image)
The beginnings of the devotion to St. Michael the Archangel in Iligan City began after the Jesuits were banished from all Spanish territories in 1768 by King Charles III, the Recollects took over the Jesuit missions in Mindanao. In 1834, the Spanish priests built on the site of its first chapel in Iligan the first parish church with St. Michael the Archangel as patron saint.  Iliganons find more affinity to the older brown skinned image and fondly call it "guerrero" or warrior-saint and is deemed miraculous. Each year, the statue is provided two costumes, bigger in size than the previous year because the statue is said to be "growing."

The other statue is fair with classic features and is dressed like a Roman centurion. Kept at the lobby of St. Michael’s College across from the San Miguel Cathedral, it is alternately called "mayumo" and "collaborator" for it took the place of the miraculous "guerrero" when the Japanese occupied the city from 1942-1944. The "guerrero" was hidden in a cave in Pugaan because the people feared that the Japanese would deface it.

There were two folk legends on why San Miguel became Iligan City's Patron Saint in lieu of Seņor Santiago Matamoros must have been due to the Spanish colonizers’ shift in a policy of peaceful co-existence. St. Michael the Archangel, who defeated Lucifer in a celestial battle, is Archangel to both Christians and Muslims. One tells of a sacristan who was blindfolded and who bumped into the image of St. Michael as he groped in the plaza where several images intended for various parishes were placed. The story goes that the sacristan turned around a few times and then embraced a statue crying, "This is the patron saint of Iligan!" When his blindfold was removed, he saw that he was embracing not the saint’s image but the devil under its feet.

San Miguel de Iligan (the "Mayumo" image)
The other version many accept is St. Michael’s desire to be Iligan’s titular. Legend has it that the images of St. Michael and of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception arrived together in Iligan. The Immaculate Conception’s image was left in Iligan while that of St. Michael’s was brought on the ship bound for Misamis. A heavy storm was said to force the ship to turn back.

 Another attempt was made to bring the statue to Misamis but again a storm forced the ship carrying St. Michael’s image to return to Iligan. A decision was made that the Immaculate Conception be brought to Misamis while that of St. Michael be left in Iligan. However, some scholars dispute that this belief has no basis since Misamis, founded 23 years earlier than Iligan, already had as titular the Immaculate Conception.

Predictably, Iliganons prefer to believe the myth that St. Michael chose to be the city’s titular in the same way that Israelites believe they are God’s chosen people. Perhaps this explains the steadfast devotion of Iliganons to St. Michael who is the "mal’akh yawh" (angel of Yahweh). The name Michael also means "who is like God."

Iliganons entrust the protection of their city to this warrior-saint and stories of the saint’s miraculous exploits in trying times are legend.

San Miguel de Iligan in proocession
Miracles

Having been elevated as patron saint, the people started to pray to him for a good harvest, rain, mercy, and above all protection. San Miguel seemed to have answered their prayers. During the ruthless Moro raids that kidnapped people from as far away as Manila, Iligan City was untouched and safe despite the fact that it is surrounded by predominant Muslim provinces.
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Another miracle attributed to San Miguel is the protection of the city from the Japanese during World War 2. The story goes that the Japanese bomber planes could not bomb Iligan because the ground apparently disappeared before them. All they could see was water, water everywhere.

The Elaborate Diyandi Fiesta 

The Feast of San Miguel Arcangel of Iligan is This yearly event, celebrated on the 29th of September, is the most awaited by the Iliganons because it not only gives them the chance to showcase their biggest and most colorful cultural heritage of lumad, Muslim and Hispanic cultures. It is also a form of thanksgiving to their beloved Patron. The Feast is known as Diyandi Festival and this is the most elaborate and grand fiesta dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel being celebrated in the country.

The Pakanaug rites where the image of San Miguel de Iligan
is taken down from his altar
The festivities began with the traditional Pakanaug rites where the descent of the image of San Miguel which occurs on the first day of the novena. On regular days, his statue is kept above the altar in Saint Michael’s Cathedral beyond the reach of his devotees. On fiesta days, however, his statue is brought down on the altar. Masses would gather at this date and celebrate. The cries and cheers of "Viva San Miguel!" will echo all over the Cathedral.

This rite would be the time that San Miguel would be closest to his people. The people could touch him, kiss him, and wipe their handkerchiefs on him . After the mass, the statue of San Miguel was taken to a coach that was paraded around the city. The people joined in with the celebration dancing and shouting "Viva Señor San Miguel!"  The Pakanaug rites and his September 29 feast day are observed as local holidays.

The Diyandi Festival
On his fiesta, the most popular of Iligan's traditional arts, shown during the fiesta are the Diyandi, a Higaunon dance-music performance, Kasadya street dancing contest, a Yawa-Yawa (devil-devil) play, and the Sinulog dance-ritual.

The Diyandi is an all female ritual dance performed only on the feast day, Sept. 29. It is a unique dance form which is the direct result of meshing of two cultures: Maranao and Higaunon. Both peoples believe in the miraculous powers of Seņor San Miguel and they perform the ritualistic dance to thank or ask for his blessings.

Yawa-yawa
The Yawa-Yawa (Devil-Devil) is a comedia, a religious play performed in the vernacular Cebuano, depicting Lucifer's unsuccessful revolt against God aided by San Miguel and other loyal angels. The Sinulog is the most attended and popular of the fiesta highlights. Performed only in the afternoon of the feast day, this ritualistic street-dance drama (also called eskrima) mimics the celestial battle between Lucifer and San Miguel. This is performed on the streets of Iligan with the dancers dressed like Roman centurions, battling an unseen foe with their swords and shields, which it must be pointed out, are of unknown origin or design.

The Sinulog is an improvised dance on the street and anybody from the crowd is free to join in. The performers, upon vanquishing their imaginary foe, cry out, "Viva Seņor San Miguel!" and the crowd roars back, "Viva!" This is repeated throughout the dance.

Another dance performance is the Kasadya, a street dance contest previously called Diyandi competition. Begun around 1986 and usually held two days before the fiesta, it has now ballooned into a full-scale festival of its own.

The devotion

The devotion to San Miguel de Iligan continues to flourish up to this day. Numerous miracles were attributed to his intercession and it was never known that he abandoned his chosen abode for he truly protect his City from different crisis that Iligan faced for centuries. Just like the Iliganons, let us imitate them on putting our trust to St. Michael the Archangel for his protection was proven to be effective, especially in these trying times where evil seemed to take over our modern society. We need him more than ever and let us pray for the triumph of God over sin and death.

References:

"In Focus: St. Michael’s Cathedral", Retreived from http://exploreiligan.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-focus-st-michaels-cathedral.html on September 5, 2019.
Cruz, John, "Viva Iligan Part 1", Retreived from  https://muragdoctor.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/viva-iligan-part-1/ on September 5, 2019.
Ortega, Christine, "Devotion to 'growing' statue a way of life in Iligan City," Inquirer Mindanao, 2001.
Ortega, Christine, "Merry Michaelmas!", Inquirer Mindanao, 2001.
"The San Miguel Fiesta", Retrieved from http://www.iligan.nu/fiesta.htm on September 5, 2019.

Credits to the owners of the photographs utilized for this blogpost.
+AM+DG+

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