Showing posts with label Fort Pilar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Pilar. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR NOVENA MASSES: OCTOBER 3 TO 12

Fiesta Pilar 2012

OUR LADY OF PILLAR NOVENA MASSES (October 3 - 12)

ADVISORY FOR OCTOBER 3 (and until further notice)
While waiting for completion of the clearing operation being done, the morning procession and novena in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar for October 3 - first day are cancelled at the Fort Pilar Shrine.

However, the Novena Masses will proceed at 6 a.m. and at 5 p.m. at Centro Pastoral Hall, Gov.Camins.

I got the message from the FB status of Fr. Butch, Parish Priest of the Fort Pilar Shrine.
Since the Clearing operations are not yet complete and clearance has not been given, this would be the advisory as of now and may remain so until further notice. 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As of October 4, 2013, this is the new advisory:

PUBLIC ADVISORY:

ALL THE NOVENA MASSES WILL BE AT CENTRO PASTORAL HALL. 


HOWEVER, FOR PERSONAL DEVOTION AND LIGHTNING OF CANDLES, THE SHRINE WILL BE OPENED FROM 7 A.M. TO 5 P.M. ONLY!

N.B. THE GATE FRONTING THE PLAZA PILAR WILL BE THE ENTRANCE. 

THE GATE FRONTING FISHERIES SCHOOL NEAR THE CRUZ MAYOR WILL BE THE EXIT.

WE DISCOURAGE EVERY ONE FROM BRINGING BAG PACKS AND OTHER BAGS FOR SECURITY REASON. THANK YOU!
FORT PILAR SHRINE
DAY 22 Zamboanga Crisis 2013
credits: FB of Fr. Butch Candido 

I would like to share again about the "OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR" from Wikipedia.


Our Lady of the Pillar 
(SpanishNuestra SeƱora del Pilar) is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary for her miraculous appearance in ZaragozaSpain at the time of the emergence of Christianity. She is the Patroness of Spain, the Spanish Civil Guard and the Hispanic world. Her shrine is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar situated by the Ebro river.

The feast of Our Lady of the Pillar is celebrated on 12 October and she is the Patroness of the Hispanic peoples and the Spanish Civil Guard.

In Zamboanga City, the Virgin of the Pillar has been venerated for almost four centuries as the patroness of the city and in the Archdiocese of Zamboanga. The bas relief of her atop the eastern gate of the 17th-century Spanish military fort dedicated to the Virgin, Fort Pilar (Full name: Royal Fort of our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, El Fuerte Real de Nuestra SeƱora Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza), is now a Catholic Marian shrine. 

The city also has a street named after her - Pilar Street.


Fiesta Pilar 2012


Everything will be simpler now, but it is only fitting to remember the real reason why we have the Feast of the Lady of the Pillar!
Centro Pastoral ready for the Novena masses
Credits: Fr. Butch Candido, Shrine Administrator
Centro Pastoral ready for the Novena masses
Credits: Fr. Butch Candido, Shrine Administrator


P.S. Here are some of the links of blogposts I have written through the years that you might want to visit:
Fort Pilar Throughout the Years
Fort Pilar 2011: Day After Fiesta
Fort Pilar 2012



Wednesday, January 16, 2013

AERIAL VIEW OF ZAMBOANGA CITY: BEFORE (2005) AND AFTER (2012)!

I really just want to revisit this post done in September 2012 because this story (and pictures) are special to me. But, I also added some new points!

I haven't had the chance of "flying" over Zamboanga City again, but when I saw the really beautiful aerial pictures of my friend, Sixto Kwan (Six2K), I asked him if I can use his photos in this blog!

I'd like to compare Zamboanga City, before (circa 2005) and after (circa 2012) but of course, the angulations would be different considering the different photographers and more so, different chopper pilots!!!

I actually want to share the changes in Zamboanga City topography rather than compare picture quality!

Here goes:
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (MCIC)
2005
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (MCIC) in 2005

2012
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (MCIC) in 2012

The two pictures are shown in different angulations: the 2005 picture viewing Mindpro mall (white box-like building on our left side) while the 2012 picture viewing Ateneo De Zamboanga University.
Can't really figure out if there are obvious new buildings in the Pueblo area. I am not expecting any big change, though, since this was a congested area in the first place.
What I can say was that the Immaculate Conception Cathedral was much newer then...and of course, the new belfry, too, with the Carillon bells!
But, the rooftops across the MCIC look better in 2012!

Fort Pilar
2005
Fort Pilar in 2005

2012
Fort Pilar in 2012
I guess the position of the photos are similar.
So much has changed since Paseo Del Mar and Plaza Del Pilar did not yet exist around Fort Pilar in 2005.

Inside Fort Pilar, the green shrubs are now taller.
In Fort Pilar, the fountain and the Carillon bells are now seen. The plants are now taller and more green.
Across the Fort Pilar Shrine and across the National Museum, there are very many adobe-roofed stalls lining the area.
And on the right side (our right) of Fort Pilar is another set of adobe-roofed stalls, the Plaza Del Pilar which did not exist then.
It is nice to see the huge acacia trees still in the area of the the plaza Del Pilar. since they add beautiful rustic and vintage character to the area.
Also, I can identify the new Bangko Sentral building in Zamboanga City, in our right upper hand corner near Lantaka Hotel, and across Paseo Del Mar!

Paseo Del Mar
2005
Fort Pilar in 2005


circa 2005: view of back part of Fort Pilar  (Real Fuerza de Nuestra SeƱora del Pilar de Zaragoza (Royal Fort of Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza) 
in honor of the patron virgin of Spain, Our Lady of the Pillar.
2012
there are now many structures within the Paseo Del Mar but the grandiose dancing and musical fountain, but still maintained a huge park ground to stroll around!

We didn't focus the picture in the Paseo Del Mar area before because it was just a vacant lot.
Paseo Del Mar now has a beautiful musical and dancing fountain as the main attraction and of course, all the food stalls and restaurants which has enlivened the place. You'll now find Tony's Papaitan and Kape Zambo in the new building near the fountain aside from the line of restaurants in the original side like Barcode, Mano-Mano, Alavar's and many others.
All kinds of people come over =  families, couples, friends, get togethers, meet ups and of course, where we bring our visitors and guests from other places.

NuƱez Extension
(now Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue)
2005
viewing Ciudad Medical Zamboanga: Nunez Ext. directed to Ateneo De Zamboanga University 

viewing Ciudad Medical Zamboanga in Nunez Ext. with "lakeside view"
otherwise known as kangkong fields.

2012
viewing Ciudad Medical Zamboanga with Nunez Ext. directed to Camins St. .. CMZ can still have a  mountain or "lakeside" view with the kangkong field still present close to it! This is so because Nunez Extension was opened in the early 2000s
viewing Ciudad Medical Zamboanga with Nunez Ext. directed to Camins St. ... see far beyond to the mountains and see Mt. Pulong Bato and Muruk on our right hand side! By the way, Nunez Extension is now called Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue!!!


Nunez Extension was an almost empty street in 2005 with few establishments other than Ciudad Medical Zamboanga. 

By the way, did you know that Nunez Extension is now called Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue?
Yes, it is!
Here is the link:http://www.zamboanga.gov.ph/files/2009/ORD/reg353.pdf
353AN ORDINANCE "NAMING THE NUƑEZ EXTENSION ROAD" AS "MAYOR VITALIANO D. AGAN AVENUE"Enacted: 19 Aug 2009
Approved: 26 Aug 2009

The road was named after him because it was in his term as Mayor (1988 to 1998) that they proposed the "Opening of the Nunez Extension Road".
That is why even if the Mayor Agan Avenue (Nunez Extension) is in the center of the City, it is still a relatively new road which opened in the early 2000s.

Well, Zamboanga City has grown to be a more beautiful, slightly urban center.

P.S. 
Thanks Six2K for the new pictures (with watermark).
The older pictures were taken by me in 2005


Sunday, October 14, 2012

FORT PILAR GROUNDS

Did you know that October is Museum and Galleries month?
Well, so timely, that during a Photowalk, I was able to make a short tour within the Fort Pilar Museum grounds minus the museum tour because it was close to 5 p.m. and they were already closing!





Here is what I picked up from Wikipedia:
The Royal Fort of Our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza (commonly known as Fort Pilar) is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga CityPhilippines. The fort, which is now a regional museum of the National Museum of the Philippines, is the major landmark of Zamboanga City and a symbol of the city's cultural heritage. Outside the eastern wall is a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the city.

Here are images of the Fort Pilar grounds which I would like to share with you!
Central grounds and Courtyard.


 Well.
my photowalk buddies...

Juvee's great idea



Visitors.
We saw this cute little girl and some families and group of students who strolled in the Fort Pilar grounds.
More so, there were also pictorials for pre-nups and debuts at the time we visited.

Niche.

 To the Walls.




Cannons.
A Fort always has cannons.
From Wikipedia.
In 1635, upon the requests of the Jesuit missionaries and Bishop Fray Pedro of Cebu, the Spanish governor of the Philippines Juan Cerezo de Salamanca (1633–1635) approved the building of a stone fort in defense against pirates and raiders of the sultans of Mindanao and Jolo. The cornerstone of the fort, originally called Real Fuerza de San JosĆ© (Royal Fort of Saint Joseph), was laid by Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest-engineer, on June 23, 1635, which also marks the founding of Zamboanga as a city, then known as Jambangan.

View from the Walls.
Paseo Del Mar 

Bangko Central ng Pilipinas and one of the walls

back to courtyard
Entrance to the Museum.

Outer Walls.



Fort Pilar Shrine also composes one wall of the Fort Pilar.
From Wikipedia:
It was in 1734, when a relief of the Our Lady of the Pillar was placed above the eastern wall of the fort making it an outdoor shrine with an altar for praying. Tradition reveals the Virgin Mary appeared to a soldier on December 6, 1734, at the gate of the city. Not recognizing her, the soldier asked her to stop. Upon recognizing her, he fell down to his knees.


Fiesta Pilar 2012
Visit the Fort Pilar Museum this October. Admission is free for the whole month of October.