National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao Bulacan

If you're in Metro Manila or north of the capital, here's a place you can visit during the holy week or when you need a spiritual escape or intervention or just about anytime you feel like it. The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao, Bulacan could be the haven / spiritual retreat you are looking for. People go there during holy week usually for the way of the cross. Others go there to meditate and reflect all throughout the year.

There have been stories of devotees who miraculously healed from their ailments after making a pilgrimage to the place. Others believe in the healing powers of the water streaming down the walls of the man-made cave and grottoes. So much so that the people at the Church had put up signs limiting the amount of water one could take to one gallon. When I first read that I was like, how much do some people take? A pail? Isn't that kinda heavy? Do they bathe in those? Hmm, maybe they do.

Father Vic Robles, who used to say mass at the school I went to, is largely responsible for the Divine Mercy Shrine in Marilao coming into being. There have been instances when we would go to the shrine as a class.

As a kid then a teen, the place was wondrous. It was nothing like any church I have seen. It was labyrinthine with lots of nooks and crannies to discover. And before I get accused of being there just for sightseeing, please, I know I took faith and religion way more seriously than other kids my age at that time. I was far more religious then than I am now. Sadly.

We used to go to the Divine Mercy Shrine during Lent and for the annual Feast of the Divine Mercy on the 2nd Sunday of Easter (the next Sunday after Easter Sunday). The last time I have been to the shrine was three years ago so the pics below are that old. The place has undergone several developments over time.

At first it was just the open air altar and courtyard with log pews, wishing well, waterfalls, grottoes and the church with its man-made cave aside from a few structures:

Church facade. Note the staircase on the side which lead to the lofts.

Two Places For Yummy Take-Away Food Near Jed's Island Resort: Betty's Native Cakes and Aling Rosa Nita's Pancit Malabon

I'm keeping this short (shorter than my usual, heh.) and sweet much like these yummy goodies we had when we went to Jed's Island Resort. It's a good thing the resort does not impose a corkage fee on food and drinks and allows patrons to go in and out the resort. Mom thought our provisions that day were lacking so off she and my brother went to nearby Calumpit Market which we passed by along MacArthur Hiway on the way to the resort from Malolos. Near the market were stores offering Betty's Native Cakes and Aling Rosa Nita's Pancit Malabon.

The Banana Cue Camote Cue Turon Ambulant Kid Vendors of Pandayan and Meralco Village

If you really live in our subdivision, you would have an idea who I'm talking about. And this could be used as a test by barangay officials to know if someone who claims to have lived in the neighborhood for sometime is telling the truth. Have them call out "Banana Cue, camote cue, turon" the same way as those kids do.

I am irked when some kids (yups they're kids being kids but that does not stop the grating in my ears) would imitate how they call out their wares in a sing song voice just for fun.Or when some people would pretend that they're customers, call from within their gates then leave the kids waiting there only to realize later that they've been pranked. Okay, so I'm not exactly happy either when the same things happen to other ambulant vendors.

Here in the Philippines, if people would like to buy something from an ambulant vendor, they would shout out the name of the ware or service the vendor has been calling out. I've never been comfortable with this custom. I kept thinking, they're people, they're not  things. But that's how it is isn't it? Without knowing anything about them other than their familiar face, voice, wares and services, I guess they will be defined by the wares or services they are offering. Asking for their name seems obtrusive and may freak them out but that's what we did with our suking manong magbobote. Calling out "manong!" or "miss!" would get you stares from just about everyone.  Same goes with "psst!", "hoy!" and clapping ones hands, which I feel is a bit rude. So when I hear a vendor calling out, if I need something from them,  I would make sure I'm out in the street before they pass by our house.