The incidents involved a series of apparitions of a woman dressed like a nun who identified herself as the Immaculate Conception to eight schoolgirls which are relatives because of intermarriage between islanders. The eight visionaries were Belinda Villas, Mercelita Cajayon, Dalisay Tameta, Edna Villas, Matilda Somintac, Mindadella Tulaylay, Erlinda Villas and Gloria Tulaylay whose ages ranged from 10 to 12 at that time and studying at the only school in the island, a public elementary school. During the first appariton on Dec. 6, 1966, Belinda and Mercedita were on the way home to Buli where they all lived sharing a chocolate candy when Belinda felt the necessity of peeing. She told Mercelita to go ahead and hid behind a big rock on the lot. Afterwards as she arose she felt a tug on her clothes and she saw a woman dressed like a nun who said, “Trumono,”(You sat on the throne.-possibly a euphemism for what she just did) but she said, “Hindi ko po kayo maintindihan.”(I don’t understand you.)
Passing by again, this time in the company of the other girls, they saw a small rectangular bottle in the same Conrado Villamar lot who lives in Libis. They were attracted to it and some decided to get it but Belinda reminded that they shouldn’t take what isn’t theirs. Then that the lady appeared and told Belinda that they do good things and they will be rewarded. All the girls saw her but it was only Matilda who told who told about her and got reprimanded because no nun lives there alone and nuns can only be seen during the fiesta in the last week of April.
The Teacher-in-Charge of the school and its acting principal was also Belinda’s Home Economics teacher by the name of Juana Torreliza. Trusting her, they told her the story about the lady and she decided that they write their own respective accounts concerning her. They obliged and when she saw their consistency like in describing her that her feet did not touch ground “Nakaawang ang paa sa lupa”, she told everyone in the school to come including Mr. Romeo Pulo, Grade V adviser and Ms. Paraluman Roque, the religion teacher-cathechist paid by the Parish of Lubang to teach the children. Since Ms. Paraluman was more knowledgeable in religious matters, she gave them a bottle of holy water so that if comes around again, they would know if she is a good spirit or not. She also said that if she turns out to be a good spirit then they would recite the rosary on the rocky hill which she allowed since all the children were Catholics. Thus, when they passed by again and showed herself by the alamag tree. One of them nervously threw the whole bottle but she didn’t leave.
So, Belinda asked her, “Kayo po ba ang Ina ni Hesus na pinag-aaralan namin sa Religion?”(Are you the Mother of Jesus which we are learning in our Religion?) “Oo, Nene.” (Yes, little girl)-she answered. “Ano po and inyong pangalan?” (What is your name?) she probed but she said she will give her name later. Thus, after that, almost the whole school population came to pray the rosary at the site of apparition. Everyone seemed happy with the new experience that they recited the whole fifteen mysteries. She came for the girls but she didn’t expect the crowd, “Bakit maraming tao?” (Why are there many people?); “Nadalo po sa inyo.” (They came for you.”-explained Belinda. “Hindi ako nagpapakita sa maraming tao at marami ang may kasalanan.”-she explained, in turn and left. Only the seers saw her, maybe she wanted the crowd to be more ready especially the adults. A few minutes later after the crowd left, for Belinda stated what she said, she came back and covered Belinda’s eyes as if in the game. Even the girls didn’t see her yet such that Glorita seeing Belinda shed tears said, “Baka ka nadadala ng tukso” (You must be falling into temptation.) But her explanation as her eyes were covered was, “Ako ay napaiyak dahil ako ay nainip.” (I cried because it was too long.) Mindadella described her, “Ang kanyang buhok ay alon-alon.”(her hair was wavy) and claimed that for them who can see her, they were just so happy (masayang-masaya). Dalisay observed that, “Mayroon kaming kasamang lalaki nguni’t hindi nila nakita.” When those coming were becoming more numerous, each of the girls were told what the Somintacs told Matilda, “Huwag kang magbulaan.”(Never make up stories.)The Villas were harsher on Belinda since she was going to graduate valedictorian and claims her favorite subject was Good Manners and Right Conduct. Felipe told her, “Maprepreso ka kung ikaw ay nagkukulang-kulangan”. (You’ll be incarcerated if you play crazy). Belen, the mother remarked, ”Baka namaligno.”(She must be enchanted.) But they observed that her playful behavior never changed. They even observed that “Masarap naming kumain; masarap naming matulog. Normal pa rin and isip.” (She eats well; sleeps well. She reasons normally.) and so they were not worried about her. Felipe Villas is not a practicing Catholic but the events are gradually transforming him.
Belinda’s father is not the only one transformed. While the Barangay Captain is timid about his stand the Councilman known to be an atheist, village philosopher Simeon Tarimyosa had expressed his belief in the apparitions and had learned to pray. It’s not that he had also seen the Lady but he was witnessed to some awesome supernatural phenomena like the traveling of lights similar to “those of Coleman” during the duration of the said apparitions at night. In fact, the whole island became alive and forgot its dire poverty. The captain’s force pump never rested as water was scarce and many more “pilgrims” arrive. That was especially true when the Lady requested that a church be built on the apparition site, “Magpagawa kayo ng simbahang malaki at kung hindi kaya ay kahit na maliit” came the contingent request, “Build a big church and if it’s not possible just build one which is small.” The lady seemed to be aware of the great poverty and remoteness of the island which stands on the way of building a big church. Even the Filipino attitude of “pwede na” rubbed on her. A sawali (woven bamboo) was soon built where many plaster images were placed near one of the alamag trees where she stood. Not requested, a 21-foot tin cross was brought by Perfecto Alegre who now resided in Metro Manila but since it can’t be placed inside the chapel, it was just planted in front of the thatch chapel from nearby two stores sprang up selling what the “pilgrims may need. The fishermen have more motivation now to catch the imalik (flying fish) and the malasugin (swordfish) because the non-islanders have to eat and this was fiesta fare for them like other sea catch unlike the islanders who find canned products their feast. At least there was an opportunity for the islanders to earn more.
Fr. Bernard Pues SVD, the German parish priest of Santa Rosa also in Lubang was very cautious on the apparitions despite the spontaneity of the girl seers. He must be aware that in 1711, a Filipino priest of his parish landed in the ecclesial jail for listening to three boys who said that Our Lady instructed them in a vision that a ruined chapel be rebuilt who when the Archbishop of Manila, the same venomous Archbishop who orchestrated the death of Gov. Gen. Fernando Bustamante, Fray Franciso de la Cuesta terrorized them to recant such that even the benefactor who built it was jailed. Yes, it’s only in the Philippines, that a Filipino priest (Fr. Juan Crisostomo) could be jailed alongside a benefactor (Don Francisco Boo) for listening to Our lady’s vision. It was good that her beata sister interceded. What could possibly motivate the boys to make up a story when there was no internet yet to make them popular. But then it was the same rabid discrimination the Filipino clergy received which caused the death of Angburza (Angeles, Burgos and Zamora- Gomez is the mother’s surname). Little do people know that Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo y Guttierrez only wanted to save the lives of fellow masons Crisanto de los Reyes, etc. and made the three priests the substitutes. Relevant, too was the finding of an incorrupt body of a maiden in 1947 which the people dubbed as “Santa Filomena” and followed by Lipa apparitions in 1948 with a negative decision perpetrated by Rufino Cardinal Santos. The German priest have no choice but to be careful such that on the day that the lady was giving the girls their mission he had pre-empted Belinda to tell the lady for his conditions before he can believe: that a deaf-mute son of a catechist be able to hear, that a blind man can see, that a cancer patient become healthy and a spring of water come forth. These are all logical concerns of a devoted priest but the Lady just said, “Balang araw “(someday) and then went on to tell the girls their mission, “Manggamot kayo.”(You heal the sick.) Wasn’t that ironical because the cancer patient had died and the blind still blind and the deaf-mute still is and the requested never flowed. Worst, none of the kids tried to heal anyone since the parents knew that faith healers are usually poor and they feel the girls are never going to charge fees. So, how can they improve the lot of the islanders. But speaking of cures, it seemed that the Lady would really want someone to heal. Felipe, during the apparitions stepped on an alamag branch in Mahagkig and got pointed hairs that made his foot swollen. Then Belen, got terrible abdominal pains and he didn’t know what to do. So, he got some alamag leaves and with oil pasted them on her tummy and she easily got well. Alamag or bingas in Tagalog or Exitelia corymbosa, and Maranthes corymbosa had no know curative properties except its bark which is anti-tumor in herbalism. But Felipe inspired by what happened to Belen used also the leaves on his foot and he also got well.
Despite the big personalities who came, one even coming by helicopter, nobody noticed the poverty in Cabra. Not one remembered to have a health center built there and no one volunteered to build a church. They were disappointed with the fact that although Belinda answered their curious questions, they didn’t like the other harrowing messages of things yet to come during the regime because for them everything was alright. And so, they left Cabra alone even if the goats won’t come back. There was just this episode of real interested parties, the now unknown Iglesia de Corazon de Jesus which members came to possess the chapel and the claim for the apparitions. They were not given the perfect joy because Perfecto Alegre’s cross swayed left and right violently by itself when the islanders knelt to pray for deliverance, this even when the alamag leaves of the sea beam trees were not moving. Not that perfecto is perfect, because his one-peso photograph each of the girls with a white shadow of the Lady was denounced by Fr. Pues as a fake. Pues, no mas Milagro aqui! Walang himala!
Anyway, my motive for writing this was not to convince anyone to believe or not to believe in the apparitions. I want this to serve as a springboard of what the school can do as a community hub as Sec. Ricardo Gloria defined before. The acting principal should have consulted with the parents of the girls instead of calling the whole school which added to the sensationalism which even the Lady did not want. The religion teacher was also over-enthusiastic. She should have demonstrated how to squirt or sprinkle the holy water properly or chaperoned the girls herself. The male teacher should have more resolute in advising the ladies of the school into logical thinking. The community leaders should have acted prudently not timidly, especially concerning security measures. The documentation should have been well taken-cared of and duly-transferred to the clergy as this would stop being a school affair when properly referred. But who can blame them? For even the political leaders just came by to satisfy their curiosity and when there seem not to be a fresh grass of benefit visible simply left Cabra to its own destiny; forever named after the goats even when the goats have already left.
Rico del Sol
Hang Yu Sil
