Early 17th century / Wood with ivory face and hands / Approximately 145 cm in height / Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag, Pangasinan

The image of Our Lady of the Rosary was brought from Spain via Mexico by Fr Juan de San Jacinto, OP, for the former Augustinian mission of Santa Monica around the early 1600s. Santa Monica was a prosperous settlement near the Baloquin River, which was often raided by people from the mountains. In response to this crisis, the Dominicans, who had taken over the mission, transferred the location of the settlement to a hilltop across the river and dedicated it to the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary. In this new site, a small chapel was built and the image brought by Father de San Jacinto was enshrined in an altar. This hilltop is where the present minor basilica stands to welcome the huge number of pilgrims that visit Manaoag every year.

The tale of how “Manaoag” was attached to Our Lady of the Rosary begins with the local townspeople. This version poses an alternative narrative about how the image of Our Lady was enshrined in its present location. According to the story, a radiant lady holding an infant in her arms appeared upon a low tree before a weary farmer who was on his way home. The farmer tried to run away in fright but was held back by a sweet voice calling his name. The lady then gave him the message, “Son, I want a church built here in my honor. My children shall receive many favors in this place.” The farmer spread the news and people began to flock to the apparition site, which later on became a traditional pilgrimage area for the people of Santa Monica and their neighboring towns. When pilgrims were asked where they came from, they answered, “Dimad Apo yamantatawag”—meaning, “from the lady who calls.” This response later on evolved to Manaoag, which not only replaced Santa Monica as the name of the town but also became the renowned title of the lady. Apart from Manaoag, the people call Our Lady Ina (Mother) and, in Ilocano, Apo Baket (Venerable Lady) (Nelmida-Flores 2004, 52-55; Barcelona 2004, 9-10).

The image consists of full body with clothes all carved in wood (tallada), and fitted with carved ivory face and hands. Although the image by itself is carved with clothes, it became a customary act of devotion to dress the image in richly embroidered vestments composed of a metal breastplate, mantle, and veil donated by devotees. Adorning the virgin’s forehead is a crescent-shaped diadem, rostrillo (rays set around the face), and aureola (halo) of stars. Her image appears with the infant Jesus who also wears an imperial crown. The virgin’s image holds a rosary, along with a scepter and a marshal’s baton. It stands on a carved wooden cloud base.

On 21 Apr 1926, the image of Our Lady of Manaoag was canonically crowned under Pope Pius XI through Apostolic Nuncio Msgr Guillermo Piani (Barcelona 2004, 11). An approval by Pope Benedict XVI created a Special Bond of Spiritual Affinity between the Shrine of Manoag and the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome (Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 2012). Pope Francis elevated the shrine into a Minor Basilica on 11 Oct 2014 (Lombiao 2015).