San Agustin notes that Magellan’s expedition “discovered the mouth of the cove of Cebu called
Mandaue on 7 April at noon in 1521.” The fluvial parade, a civic celebration started in the early 1980’s
re-enacts the arrival of Magellan’s galleons bringing the image of the Santo Niño to Cebu, with
performers portraying Queen Juana carrying the image and King Humabon and the Spanish settlers
taking the Image by sea from port of Mandaue to the port of Cebu.Held on the Saturday morning before
the Sunday feast of the Santo Niño, the fluvial parade has become one of the highlights of the annual
feast.
Hundreds of thousands prepare themselves as early as 5:00 in the morning to embark on sea craft or
assume terrestrial vantage points as onlookers. The blowing of sea craft horns at 7:00 in the morning
marks the start of the parade. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, OSA prior of the Augustinian community in Cebu,
clarified in a newspaper article that while devotees mistake the parade as a “procession,” the activity is
actually a “parade” which is both religious and civic in nature. The only religious factor is the presence of
the replica of the Santo Niño, and icons of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu, and Saint Joseph, the patron
saint of Mandaue.
On the Friday prior to the parade, the replicas of the images of the Santo Niño and Our Lady of
Guadalupe are brought by motorcade to Saint Joseph’s church in Mandaue City in what is known as the
annual traslacion prior to the fluvial parade. The five parishes of Mandaue City welcome the visiting
Images with the pealing of church bells, while Mandauehanons (residents of Mandaue), who live along
the motorcade route decorate their house fronts. There is then a Misa de Traslacion (Mass honoring the
Transfer), and a vigil at the church. In early years, starting at 3:00 in the morning the next day, Saturday,
Diana (reveille; daybreak) presentation of higantes (giant and giantless figures) paraded through the City
of Mandaue followed by a Mass at 4:00 in the morning, then a foot procession from the church to
Ouano wharf for the fluvial parade. The use of Ouano private wharf and yacht (named Señor Santo Niño)
has been the political family’s offering to the Santo Niño since 1983; their private yacht is used
exclusively for the purpose of the fluvial parade.
In 1986, the “fluvial” included about 15 gaily decorated vessels, while hundreds of participants met the
image at the pier and danced their way to the Basilica to escort the Icon. By 2003, the fluvial parade
marked its nineteenth year, and a flotilla of about 112 boats joined the parade, which never failes to
draw crowds and cheers. Helicopters shower confetti, ships sound their bullhorns, people onshore light
firecrackers and release balloons. The image is now met at the pier by numerous devotees, as well as
some groups who authorized by the Basilica to perform the Sinulog, these latter groups have been
limited due to considerations.
The Cebu coast guard closes the Mactan channel to public sea crafts for four hours to give way to the
fluvial parade which, however, in 2003, had a few minor accidents among some unregistered
participants. The fluvial parade ends at the Cebu City Pier I, after which a procession takes the replica of
the Santo Niño from the pier to the Basilica. (Astrid Sala-Boza).
The Case of the Poisoned Family
Banawa, the Kingdom of King Humabon, bordered the sea. During the months of November and
December, as was always his custom, he reminded his people to be wary of eating a certain kind of
poisonous fish locally called boriring (globe fish). He had to do it because during those two months this
kind of fish swarmed like ants hear seashore. So thick were this kind of fish that a mere child could pick
them up like picking up pebbles along the seashore.
Now there lived in Pansil (now called Pasil), a part of Humabon’s Kingdom, a certain family consisting of
a father, a mother, two sons and two daughters. One day a neighbour found the members of this family
lying prostrate on their kitchen floor. The neighbour was surprised. He went up the house to find out
what caused them to lie flat on the floor as if they were dead. He found the unfinished dinner of the
family – rice on the plates and a big fish locally called tambanguno almost totally eaten on another
plate.The neighbour at once concluded that the family was poisoned eating the fish. But the fish was not
poisonous. How could the family be poisoned? It was however, resolved that the tambanguno had eaten
boriring and having eaten it, its poison remained in the flesh of the tambanguno.
When the accident was reported to King Humabon, he ordered that all members of the poisoned family
be brought to the square before his palace so that all people could see them, and having seen them,
learn a lesson. A great crowd gathered around the family who were lying flat on three lantay (bamboo
beds). Two of the onlookers were the Amoy and Queen Juana. The Amoy was told by King Humabon to
say a prayer for the dead. But Queen Juana went up the palace to fetch the image of the Holy Child.
Before long she returned with the image.
While the Amoy was mumbling the prayer, Queen Juana went to each member of the poisoned family,
letting the feet of the Image touch the forehead of each. Wonder of wonders! The members of the
poisoned family all opened their eyes as if they had just awakened from sleep. In no time at all, they all
stood up as if nothing happened to them.The onlookers stood rooted on the ground with surprise.
Never had they witness a “miracle” such as this. (Manuel Enriquez de la Calzada).
Anvimexy♥ 