Mount Guiting-Guiting

Mount Guiting-Guiting (also known as G2) is a mountain located at the heart of Sibuyan Island, one of the seven islands of Romblon Province in the Philippines. Guiting-Guiting, in the local Romblomanon dialect, means "jagged". Though the length and duration of the climb is relatively shorter, two days to climb up and one day to descend, this mountain is still acknowledged as the most difficult and technically challenging Philippine mountain to climb, alongside Mount Halcon in Mindoro and Mount Mantalingajan in Palawan

Señor Santo Niño de Romblon

People attribute miracles to the 432-year-old statue of the child Jesus, the Sto. Nino of Romblon, which occupies a central role in the lives of residents in this central Philippine island.

Its arrival in Romblon in 1582 was the first miracle that people re-enact every year with elaborate preparations, sending the whole island into a festive mood of street dancing, praying, street parade and a sea procession that takes several hours to finish.

“Viva, el Sto. Nino! Viva, el Sto Nino!,” the crowd roar as the statue moves out of St. Joseph Cathedral on board a bamboo float as part of the Biniray Festival celebration. The nine-day festival, which start on January 10, is a Roman Catholic celebration based on pagan traditions. Men with painted bodies called “pintados” and women adorned with leaves and vines dance to the beat of drums followed by tribesmen covered with soot and mud.

Biniray is a Visayan word for “where we sailed to” and attributed to 10 Bornean datus, who visited Romblon hundreds of years ago, according to legend. But the fiesta is in honor of the 12-inch wooden statue of Sto. Nino de Romblon, which was brought to the Philippines by Spanish conquistador Miguel de Loarca in 1582.

“The festival features dancing and activities that make people’s faith to their patron saint stronger. It is adorned with colorful designs and pagan tribal costumes, which attract local and international tourists,” a provincial official said.

Aklan Archbishop Jose Talaoc said Romblon lost its vigor when the Sto. Nino, which had a crown made of pure gold, was stolen from its pedestal at the St. Joseph Cathedral when it was undergoing renovation in 1991.

In January last year, an antique dealer returned the statue without the crown but the people of Romblon celebrated its return and residents considered it a miracle because the number of devotees had waned when the Sto. Nino was missing.

Experts were consulted to verify the authenticity of the statue and on February 9 last year, the Sto. Nino of Romblon was again enthroned at its original pedestal at the cathedral.

“We are really happy and thankful that we have the original one back,” said Monsignor Ernie Fetalino of the Diocese of Romblon.

 He said the Sto. Nino of Romblon is an exact replica of Sto. Nino of Cebu, which was being brought back to Spain by Loarca’s expeditionary forces but a typhoon forced the galleon to make a stop-over at Romblon.

After several days in Romblon, the galleon tried to resume its journey, but strong winds prevented it from getting out of the bay and after seven failed attempts, Loarca believed the Sto. Nino wanted to stay in Romblon, the devotees said.

When they left the statue on the shore, they were able to sail out, which people considered a miracle and the natives converted to the Roman Catholic faith as a result of the incident, the devotees said.

Every year, devotees hold a fluvial procession during the Biniray festival to honor the Sto. Nino with islanders riding on outriggers, bancas, pumpboats circling the bay seven times to reenact the Spaniards seven attempts to leave the bay.

“The young Jesus really wanted to stay with us, to protect us and to save us. He refused to go with the Spaniards in 1582,” a young devotee said.

A local priest, Fr. Joebert Villasis, said the Sto. Nino made another miracle when it returned to Romblon on February 9 last year after it was missing for 22 years.

He said the day after its arrival the Professional Regulation Commission announced hat all the nursing graduates of the Aklan Catholic College have passed the board examination.

“This is the first time. It is unbelievable. It is a blessing,” Fr. Villasis said.

Romblon Gov. Eduardo Firmalo said Romblon was also directly under the path of super typhoon Yolanda last November 8, but “it suddenly changed course and spared us from destruction because of the Sto. Nino.”

“We have not suffered any typhoon since the statue returned,” Firmalo said.

Veronica Mendoza, a native of Romblon who now lives abroad, said she was glad to hear about the recovery of the Sto. Nino because it was her father who served as caretaker of the image before it was stolen in 1991.

“I’m going home to Romblon at makikita ko na rin siya,” she said.