Capiz: More than just windowpane oysters

A  couple of days after my arrival to my  sleepy hometown, Estancia, Iloilo  which turned out even sleepier after Yolanda's wrath, I organized for  my whole family a trip to Roxas city to while away for the following reasons:  (one) to compensate over my absence last Christmas and  (two) to have them forget , even for a short while, everything they had to go through during the typhoon.

We all prepped up, together with my cousin and her  three kids and travelled  to Capiz. Iloilo and Capiz are neighbouring provinces. My  mom is a pure Illonggo and my father is from Capiz. The latter is famous for the superstitions about the existence of Aswang. My father affirmed to having encounters with some when he was younger . And no matter how many times he told stories of them I am yet to see and fully describe one. So I couldn't share anything about Aswangs right now.  And that's not really what I wanted to blog  about. What would interest me is knowing that my travels interest you too. Here is how my small trip to Capiz went.

Our first stop was The Shrine in the Agtalin Hill. Devout Catholics and Marian followers go here every first Saturday of the month because of the mass. Many have said that the ascent to the hill helps you answer your prayers and heal your illnesses. We were mainly there to express our gratitude to the  Higher Power  because my family survived the typhoon unscathed .

The Ascent to Agtalin

I forgot to count how many steps it took me to reach the top. But it surely is breath-taking - both the climbing up and the view. At the top of the hill, an 80-ft tall statue of Our lady of the Miraculous Medal stands. Even from the highway  in  Dulangan, Pilar you would already see the image.  It's always  going to give you that need of stepping out of the vehicle and climbing up to either say your prayers or to enjoy the beauty of the gigantic statue and the view  from the top of the hill.

How did it get there? The idea was conceived  by a believer who was miraculously healed   from a fatal illness through the Virgin Mary. He, gratified by the miracle, wished to have a statue built in Her honor. This was realized in the combined efforts of engineers, sculptors, laborers, and locals in 1991.

I remember going up there 2-3 times before that last one.  But none so purposeful as this one.  I knew that all those things we lost during the typhoon were just things we can always buy in the future, but my family's safety is the main reason all of us, together, climbed up that hill- to acknowledge the  efforts of God  in securing them during  the hardest of times. Something I am very thankful for.