SANTO NIÑO DE LA O

 In 1724, Prince Carlos, son of King Philip V of Spain was banished from his country and
was sent to the Philippines. For more than three years the young prince stayed in the
town and resided in the convent of Pangil church.

 By 1728, the King lifted the ban on the Prince and ordered the latter to return to their
kingdom. Upon his ascension to the throne of Spain as King Charles III in 1734, he sent
the statue of Sto. Niño de La O (Holy Child of the O) and the statue of the Nuestra
Señora de La O (Our Lady of the O) to the town of Pangil as a sign of his gratitude and
appreciation for the hospitality accorded to him.

 Legend has it that the emissaries had gone to another town by mistake and when they
tried to deliver the statues, they could not budge them. However, when they arrived at
the original destination of Pangil, they had no trouble lifting them and a safe delivery
ensued. The town’s menfolk, wearing their traditional headdresses or BANDANA,
together with the other inhabitants joyously welcomed the statues.

 Since then a nine-day novena is held every year from December 16 to 24 to honor the
Sto. Niño de La O. The singing and jigging held twice a day became a very popular
tradition to date. The first is held in the morning after the Misa de Gallo and the other is
held in the afternoon. Parents from neighboring towns also bring their children to the
novena wearing their Bandana.

 The song of the novena was a chant sang by the pregnant mother, Nuestra Señora de La
O to comfort her son, Sto. Niño de La O who was in her womb. The lyrics of the chant
were based on stories from the Holy Bible.

 Every year, many families vie for the honor to be the sponsor of the Sto. Niño de La O
novena. A young son or daughter in the family is usually given the privilege to carry the
Sto. Niño de La O. This is their way of showing their gratitude and appreciation to the
Lord for the Blessings given them as a Family.
 NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA O
 The devotion to the Nuestra Señora de La O is observed by the Catholic faithful of
Pangil, Laguna every year from December 9 to 17 and December 18 as her Feast Day.
The Señora is no other than the Blessed Mother herself under one of her lesser known,
but equally important title – “Our Lady of the O” or “Our Lady of Expectation.” This
devotion celebrates the imminent motherhood of the Blessed Virgin especially during
the days before giving birth to the Messiah; hence the Blessed Mother is portrayed as a
woman about to give birth.

 Nuestra Señora de La O is unique because only few churches in the Catholic world
actually enshrine her image. The Templo de Nuestra Señora de La O in Sevilla and the
Iglesia de La O in Chipiona, both in Spain.

 Appellative de La O comes from the so-called “O Antiphons of the Roman Breviary”. The
“O Antiphons” are recited during the special period of Advent. In these “O Antiphons”,
the church expresses her deep longing for the coming of the Messiah and praises the
Blessed Mother for allowing to Incarnate Word to “pitch a dwelling” in her womb.

 The precise date of introduction of this devotion into the parish is not known. It is said
that Prince Carlos of Spain stayed in the town as a guest of the Franciscan sometime in
the 1700’s and had his lodgings in the old convent, which before its destruction in World
War II was the biggest in the entire province of Laguna. Legend has it that after his
ascencion as the King of Spain in 1734, King Carlos (Charles III) sent the statue of
Nuestra Señora de La O and Sto. Niño de La O with a crown and sceptre to the people of
Pangil in gratitude for their hospitality.

 There are many miracles attributed to the Señora. During the American regime there
was a cholera epidemic in the town. The corpses had to be buried in a hurry because so
many people were dying at the same time. One day, the statue of the Señora was
nowhere to be found in the altar. Then someone saw a beautiful long-haired lady
swimming in what is known as Hulo in Pangil, River. The lady was seen going to the
church. Many people followed and saw that the hair of Nuestra Señora de La O was
dripping wet. The news spread and so the people went to Hulo to swim, others fetched
water and bathe the sick. The epidemic disappeared and the inhabitants attributed this
miracle to the Señora.