Cagayan Valley celebrates Lady of Piat’s 400th anniv.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) Region 2 is gearing up for the influx of both local and foreign tourists and devotees on June 23 as it celebrates the Quadri-centennial of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Piat and its Canonical Coronation as the Queen of the Cagayan Valley Region by The Vatican.

According to Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan, Cardinal Marchisano from Rome has been invited to preside over the Canonical Coronation ceremonies, together with the Papal Nuncio, Most Reverend Antonio Franco and other bishops. Archbishop Talamayan said he is "expecting devotees not only from all over the Philippines but also from abroad to come and join the celebration".

Regional Director Blessida Diwa said that the Lady of Piat has just finished its "Voyage of Peace" in Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, Tabuk and Cagayan.

Many activities have been lined-up including the three-day Marian Congress, medical missions and museum exhibits, street dancing competitions, and religious sales missions to Macau and Hong Kong, among others. Diwa is expected to attend the said missions to promote the DoT-Balikbayan programs and encourage our countrymen to visit their place of origin.

There will also be fluvial processions in the eight towns of Cagayan, namely: Aparri; Camalaniugan; Lallo; Gattaran; Alcala; Amulung; Iguig; Tuguegarao City and Piat, until June 22.

"The procession from Aparri to Tuguegarao City will be retracing history as it passes the towns along the mighty Cagayan river," Diwa added.

Another highlight of the event is the street dancing competition entitled "Tugin-Sanig para kani Apo Bako", an interCatholic school contest to be held at the Lyceum of Aparri.

DoT Region 2 has been preparing the host communities for an intensive advocacy of the "Culture of Tourism" through lectures on fair pricing, honesty, courtesy and quality standard of products and services since last year.

The image of the Our Lady of Piat was brought by the Dominican Fathers from Macao in 1604 to Lallo, which was formerly the Ciudad Nueva Segovia. The Cagayan Valley Region is known as the home of the Miraculous Lady of Piat because of the many miracles and divine interventions attributed through Her intercession.

[ Lallo Wiki ]