from 1900 1910, town of calolbon felt strains of transition. people adjusted new era, hoped lesser cruelty , prayed total change. religion @ times consolation, weapon , solace toward off evils, source of hope better place live in through power of prayers wishes granted. religious were, families did not miss single day reciting angelus @ 6 o’clock in morning , in evening. nature, natives resilient, hardworking , god-fearing. means of living came farming, supplemented fishing. picture of calolbon , people, graft , corruptions , various crimes unheard of.
it harvest season (october november); people busy harvesting palay. 1 late morning, happening in making. pacio socao, companion, herding carabaos in culapnit, few kilometers away poblacion. after placing carabaos in grassy plain, pacio started place might rest, , chose iba tree commonly called kamias. when started climb, attracted luminous object sparkling light under 10:00 o’clock in morning sun. picked object , saw picture of face of enchanting woman printed in hard stone. showed companion , remarked might “aswang” or evil spirit, pacio threw stone , landed near in carabao mud-hole (lab-ogan) surrounded thick bushes , guava trees. moment, incident forgotten 2 boys.
closeup of image
one afternoon before went home, pacio went near same iba tree , there saw again stone picture , put in pocket. started go home. when reached home, kept picture between nipa shingles roof of house. in evening, mother surprised saw shimmering light coming roof . called pacio , requested him see light was. pacio obeyed , found out stone inserted. mother, maria commonly known bengge, kept image inside trunk, box wooden container clothes , valuables. @ point, bengge remembered, other people in field harvesting rice, heard loud ringing of church bells , believed when pacio found image. few later, started smell rare sweet odor, fragrance of not resemble nor equal sweetest scent of blooming flowers in morning. later discovered sweet odor emanating trunk image kept. put out image , enthroned on altar. picture started radiate more beautifully, forehead prominently , partly covered blue white veil. mole seen on forehead , many have seen image wink. lady has long eyelashes made prettier. natives of place ready accept apparition yet reluctant openly manifest it, had not been first wave of pilgrims coming different coastal towns of camarines , albay. these people rode in sailing boats called parao. them sick people carried in hammocks. asked why came, answered, sick , can healed maria. middle aged woman, nicknamed “bengge”, came houses ask alms , many forms of material aid, start building ermita in honor of “our lady of sorrows” (nuestra señora de dolor). replay of pilgrims surprised natives never had bengge travelled far reach mainland, except places within confines of calolbon.
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