By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)
LAOAG CITY—An idyllic
cove with crystal clear waters at Sitio Pagetpet, Brgy. La Milagrosa in Badoc,
Ilocos Norte is gearing up for a much-needed facility improvement while
tourists are not yet allowed to visit here due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent years, the
town of Badoc that hosts the La Milagrosa Cove and the Minor Basilica of Saint
John the Baptist had drawn foreign and local tourists for devotion to the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
To keep up with a
growing interest in faith tourism under the new normal, the Ilocos Norte
government through members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has approved a total
of PHP5 million as additional funds for tourism facility improvement.
According to
provincial tourism officer Ianree Raquel, "part of the improvement
includes the establishment if at least five comfort rooms for female and four
for male.” In addition, there will also be three urinals for male.
"Both male and
female comfort rooms will also be made accessible for persons with disabilities
including two lavatories with three faucets each for hand washing,” Mr. Raquel explained
in an interview.
As the cove is also an
ideal site for swimming, the provincial government will also construct at least
eight shower units in the area.
Following the approval
of the budget sourced from the realigned funds supposedly for the improvement
of the convent ruins in Paoay and the allocated budget from the Provincial
Tourism Office for the improvement of government-owned tourism facilities, Mr. Raquel
said the construction will start anytime soon.
History has it that Badoc
fishers retrieved the image of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc from the sea of
Badoc, Ilocos Norte and Sinait, Ilocos Sur in 1620.
Accounts say it was
found in a box together with the revered image of “Santo Cristo Milagroso de
Sinait” or the “Crucified Christ”. Historians later learned that the people of
Badoc wanted the Crucified Christ brought to their chapel, while the ones from
Sinait wanted the Lady for the Sinait church.
But when the people of
Sinait tried to carry the Lady image, they could not. The same is true when the
people of Badoc wanted to take home the Crucified Christ. They eventually
exchanged images and surprisingly, they were able to lift the images easily.
For them, this
indicated that the Crucified Christ is meant for Sinait and the Lady is for
Badoc.
Inspired by the La
Virgen Milagrosa folk tale, the provincial government initiated the annual
conduct of the La Virgen Milagrosa Festival in 2012 as a tribute to La Virgen
Milagrosa de Badoc and later on adopted as a provincial patron of the province.
Comments
Post a Comment