La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon - The Graceful Patroness of Malabon City

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La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon

The City of Malabon is known for its fisihing industry (like its neighboring city of Navotas), its kakanin, it famous pancit and some key historical landmarks that played key roles in our history.

One of the key places in this city is the old barangay Concepcion where the miraculous and beautfiul image of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon - The Patroness of the City, can be venerated. Ynang, as she is fondly called by her devotees, became a silent witness to the city's tumultuous and colorful history that the devotion to her persisted up to this day.

La Inmaculada Concepcion de  Malabon
The Visage of the Queen

The image of La Inmacualada Concepcion de Malabon is arguably one of the most unique and beautiful image of the Immaculate Conception in the Philippines. The image, despite of its age, it is well preserved and still have its youthful glow.

The image is a de tallado image of Our Lady as the Immaculate Conception carved in mulawin wood and its so intricately carved from the face, hands, the billowing of her dress and its red and blueand the unique carving of her hair which is actually tied together that flows gracefully, standing on a globe with metal accessories from the sun and the moon attached to the globe and wears a crown to signify her queenship and Patronage of Malabon City. The Virgin faces sideways on the left and her hands in a prayer position but touching each palm.

Because of the image's intricate details, it is known as one of the most difficult image to replicate.

The origin

The devotion to La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon began when a Visita was established in Hacienda Tambobong (now the present Malabon City) in 1600s and the beautiful image was carved by an unknown Kapampangan sculptor in the 1700's. This image of La Inmaculada was said to be carved from the same wood or sculptor since the features of the image shares that of the original San Jose de Navotas (Tata Bukot) and San Bartolome de Malabon. Unang attracted many devotees since her enthronement with numerous miracles that were attributed to her intercession.

La Purisima Concepcion de Malabon
(Aglipayan image)
The Aglipayan controversy

The devotion to La Inmaculada of Malabon took a set back in 1899 when the Aglipayan sect was established and years later in 1902, the sect forcibly took over the visita and turned it into an Aglipayan center. The Catholic Church filed a case and after four years, the Supreme Court ordered the return the custody of the visita and the image to the Catholics. The Aglipayans later established their own church and enthroned the image of La Purisima Concepcion or more popularly known as "Impong Maria" who also gained a devotional following that can be still be seen today. The visita of Concepcion became a full fledged parish in September 1907.

Miracles

Numerous miracles were attributed to the miraculous image of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon and the following are some of the testimonies that attest to this miraculous character of Ynang.

La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon
In 1880, a rich Chinese businessman accidentally fell into the Malabon River. He awaited rescue with only driftwood for a lifesaver. He called on the Virgin and vowed to help build her chapel if he lived. He was about to lose his grip when a boat arrived in time to fish him out of the waters. In 1886, he donated a marble font to the Church on which was inscribed the name of his spouse, Doña Atanacia Quepangco.

Another Chinese trader who lost his sight was advised to watch the Pagoda procession on the riverbanks. Refusing at first as he was blind in the first place, he later consented to be taken to the site. When the Virgin's Pagoda floated by, his vision slowly recovered.

During the Second World War, a group of local businessmen fleeing the Japanese soldiers sought refuge under the Concepcion retablo. The pursuing troops chased them inside the church and looked for them everywhere but could not find them, even under the altar were the businessmen had hidden. The businessmen escaped unharmed, knowing the Virgin had hidden them from view.

Business clans of Malabon also owe their financial success to God through the help of their patroness like the Lucas family, who owns the famous Rufina Patis, owes their success to the Virgin.

The Canonical Coronation of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon
Church Recognition

Due to the numerous miracles that are attributed to the Virgin, the image of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon received the honor of Canonical Coronation on December 7, 1986, on the strength of the Papal Bull issued on September 16, 1986.

The Parish will be elevated to the status of a Diocesan Shrine on December 8, 2021.

 The devotion

The devotion to La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon grew and developed over the centuries and more miracles were attributed to her intercession. The feast of La Inmaculada Concepcion is celebrated for three days: first on her liturgical feast every December 8, the Dalaw Bahay every December 9 and the Araw ng Concepcion held every December 10.

La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon during
the Dalaw Bahay
The Liturgical feast of La Inmaculada Concepcion of Malabon is celebrated with much solemnity and the Virgin is taken in a solemn procession. On the Dalaw Bahay day that is held every December 9, this is where the original image of the Virgin is taken out from her altar and visits every household in Malabon to bless them and the families would give homage to to their patroness in a variety of ways and it would last the whole day. When evening comes, the image is brought to the riverbanks located in the factory of Rufina Patis for Mass and the Pagoda Fluvial Procession. In the Ligiran, the boats surrounds the Pagoda and cruise around it several times. At disembarkation, the Virgin is greeted with the Salve Reguna and the Lusonh sa Tubig caps the festivity when the devotees would rush to the waters to signify the renewal of the their baptismal vows. The Araw ng Concepcion, held every December 10, is a civic-religious affair highlighted with mass baptisms, confirmations and weddings.

The devotion to La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon once again demonstrates the powerful patronage of the Blessed Mother to her chosen abode that gained her much devotees. She became a witness to the tumultuous yet colorful history and development of Malabon City that is why she is highly regarded as the city's Queen and Patroness.

We conclude this blogpost dedicated to La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon with this hymn that is sung by her devotees as their expression of love and devotion to their patroness:

Pintakasing hirang ng bayang Concepcion
Birheng Purisima, Inang Dinarangal
Ang Irog mong bayan sa 'yong 
andukha ay napaaampon.
Sa dusa't sakuna, ay laging ipagtatanggol!

 Bituin ng karagatan,
Tala sa umagang,
sakdal ng liwanag.
Timbulan ng naglalayag,
sa lunday ng buhay sa mabuhawing dagat,
nitong mundong mabagabag (2x)

References:

Barcelona, Mary Anne; Estepa, Consuelo (2004). "Ynang Maria: A Celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines". Anvil Publishing, 2004.
"Nobena sa Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon", Immaculate Conception Parish, Malabon City, 2000.

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