367. LA PURISIMA CONCEPCION de TABUÑGAO of Minalin

In the oldest barrio of Minalin, Pampanga, known today as Sta. Maria, one can find the revered and ancient image of La Purisima Concepcion de Tabuñgao, whose origin is wrought in a miraculous legend still told in this Kapampangan town. The barrio’s old name –“Tabuñgao”—refers to the 1609 discovery of the image, where people found floundering on the flooded river, a large, dried gourd (upo), or “tabuñgao/tabungo”.

The local folks fished out the floating gourd from the river which was near the ‘visita’ (chapel) they were building, and to their utter surprise—the tabuñgao, when opened, yielded an image of the Blessed Virgin.

Carved of wood, the small image depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary standing on a globe base with a snake coiled at her feet. She has a steady gaze, with the palms of her hands together in an act of prayer. Devotion spread from Tabuñgao, as the pueblo was established with the expansion of its frontiers.

Today, the present barangay known as Sta. Maria still has the visita or chapel that has been named after her. In the central niche of the altar, La Purisima Concepcion reposes, standing watch over Her people whom she has showered with an abundance of blessings.

In gratitude, the community have embraced her with love and lavish attention. Her designated camareros are the Intal Family and Nevil Pineda, a longtime devotee in charge of her vestments. 

In 2008, the “La Purisima Concepcion Festival” was organized to honor her on her feast day, Dec. 8. Replica images (festejada) of La Purisima have also been made for other devotional events including Marian processions, novenas and rosary crusades. She has also been gifted with rich vestments made by Borda de Oro, under the auspices of benefactor PJ Nepomuceno (+). 

Indeed, today, there is only one Queen who reigns in the hearts of Minaleños—La Purisima Concepcion de Tabuñgao.

 SOURCES:

Sta. Maria Archive Minalin (Nomer Pangilinan) FB page: https://www.facebook.com/stamariaarchive.minalin

Visitas ning Sta. Maria FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/visitasning.stamaria

La Purisima de Tabungao FBPage: https://www.facebook.com/lapurisima.concepcion.de.tabungao

Minalin Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minalin

Many thanks to Romel Zapata Tubig Jr, Tourism Officer of Mianlin, for the additional info.