Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the reception and blessing of the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malaca±an Palace in Manila on Thursday, marking the start of the Philippine Pilgrimage 2026.
According to Philippines News Agency, the ceremony highlighted the country's strong Marian devotion and its participation in the global Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, which forms part of preparations for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2031.
The pilgrim image, a replica of the original enshrined in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, was received with rites led by the President and the First Lady, underscoring its spiritual significance to Filipino Catholics. The image will embark on a six-month nationwide pilgrimage, visiting over 40 cathedrals and shrines across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Among its scheduled stops is a visit during the 132nd Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in Ozamiz City. The CBCP, in coordination with the Guadalupe Pilgrimage Committee, is overseeing the national itinerary.
The pilgrim image is expected to conclude its journey with a permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral. The pilgrimage aims to deepen faith and strengthen devotion among Filipino Catholics as part of a wider international spiritual preparation leading to 2031.
